Breeland Speaks Admits He Let Tom Brady Go to Avoid Flag on Late TD Run

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Breeland Speaks told reporters after the team's 43-40 loss to the New England Patriots that he let Tom Brady go after wrapping him up during a fourth-quarter touchdown run by the quarterback because he wanted to avoid a roughing the passer penalty.

"I thought the ball was gone," he said, per ESPN.com. "Because I thought the ball was gone, I didn't take him to the ground. It sucks, it sucks. You're supposed to finish plays like that."

He added: "It's just the risk we've got to take now. Whether we get the flag or not, whatever happens, you've just got to go ahead and push through it and go ahead and make that play."

The play in question came on a 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Brady dropped back to pass before stepping up in the pocket to avoid Speaks, who appeared to have him wrapped up before letting him go. Brady then sprinted to the end zone, diving across the goal line to give the Patriots a 37-33 lead.

Kansas City was called for defensive holding in the end zone, so New England would have gotten a fresh set of downs even if Speaks had made the sack. But it was nonetheless a play he should have made, which even Brady acknowledged.

"I didn't see the replay," he said on a WEEI radio appearance Monday morning, per ESPN. "I saw one TV shot of it. I'm not sure. If he had a chance to tackle me, he probably should have tackled me."

Outside of that mistake, the 22-year-old Speaks is having a solid enough rookie campaign, registering 11 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Against the Patriots, he was making his first career start in relief of the injured Justin Houston. 

First start, first major lesson for the young Speaks: If you have a player like Brady in your grasp, don't let go.

"You're not going to succeed as much as you want to in the beginning but you need those experiences to learn," linebacker Dee Ford said of Speaks, per ESPN's Adam Teicher. "One real-life encounter is worth a thousand observations. Experience is your best teacher. He's going to move on. He's going to move forward."