Al Davis blasts tuck rule in ESPN interview.

Byline: John Ryan

SAN JOSE _ "There's no way the replay rule was adhered to in New England a year ago," Al Davis said Saturday on the eve of the Raiders' tuck-rule rematch with the Patriots.

The Raiders' owner granted ESPN an hourlong interview; Bay Area reporters watched the taping. The talk explored many topics, including his relationship with the NFL and whether it played a part in the replay reversal that helped the Patriots beat the Raiders in the playoffs in January. Davis questioned whether unknown people were in the replay booth and involved in the on-field call.

The interview will be edited to five minutes and is scheduled to air on the network's "Sunday NFL Countdown" this morning and again on "SportsCenter" after the Patriots-Raiders game.

Other Davis insights:

_On being part of the committee that hired Paul Tagliabue as commissioner: "It just shows I don't always have the instinct to pick the right guy."

_On Marcus Allen, whose legendary feud with Davis eventually led to his 1993 departure for Kansas City: "We saved his career, and in essence we saved his life." Davis declined to elaborate on that statement.