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While the actual holiday is still a few weeks away, Halloween for Tom Brady came in the form of Grady Jarrett during this past Sunday's game between the Buccaneers and Falcons

"This morning, I was looking around the corner everywhere for Grady Jarrett jumping out and hitting me again," Brady said on his "Let's Go" podcast. "He played such a good game against us (Sunday), and I had nightmares last night kind of thinking about it. But I'm glad we're through that game and glad we won." 

Brady had some fun talking about the roughing the passer penalty against Jarrett that drew the ire of pretty much everyone. 

"It was a long hug. A long, unwelcome hug from Grady," Brady said. "He was in the backfield all day. 

"As I said after the games, I don't throw flags. What I do throw is tablets. He had a hell of a game. I'll leave it at that." 

Brady is aware of the current climate in the NFL regarding concussions following the situation involving Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The NFL and NFLPA were nearing an agreement to a change in the league's concussion protocol that would go into effect immediately. Some feel that the penalty on Jarrett was a reaction to the league wanting to protect its marquee players, especially ones that play quarterback. 

"I think that there's always, at times like this, such a heightened awareness to different things that are being called," Brady said. "Everyone saw the Tua situation, and I'm sure all the medical departments across the league were called and there were meetings and so forth. They're trying to keep those things from from happening again. 

"I've been in this for 23 years professionally. A lot of things happen over the course of the week. A lot of things happen over the course of the season. There's points of emphasis, there's ways that people are calling the games, and it differs from crew to crew. So you just got to go with the flow. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. You just hope they don't impact the game."

Many would assume that Brady, the NFL's most successful and well-known player, would receive preferential treatment from the refs on a weekly basis. But the stats, however, don't support that theory. In fact, as "Let's Go" host Jim Gray noted, Brady had just one roughing the passer called in favor in 2021, none in 2019, and is ranked 16th since 2020 in roughing the passer penalties. 

"I am a pocket passer, (and) a lot of those roughing the passers (penalties) come with put with guys extended plays," Brady said. "I don't really do that, so it doesn't surprise me I'm down on the list. I'd love to be up there a little bit higher and get some 15-yard penalties for my team, but it's not always the case, unfortunately."