The visiting Patriots left Las Vegas in disbelief Sunday after a costly mistake on the last play of the game led to an unbelievable game-winning touchdown from Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones.
Jones’s walk-off score was made possible by a pair of ill-timed laterals from Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson and receiver Jakobi Meyers on third-and-10 with the game tied at 24 with three seconds to play in regulation. After taking a handoff 23 yards up the middle, Stevenson tossed the ball to Meyers, who then tossed a long cross-field lateral that was snagged by Jones, who stiff-armed Patriots quarterback Mac Jones en route to a 48-yard TD.
After the game, Meyers took onus for the decision to lateral the ball, admitting he was “trying to do too much” and “trying to be a hero” instead of letting the game go into overtime.
“I thought I saw Mac open, I didn’t see Chandler Jones at the time,” Meyers explained to reporters. ”Thought he was open, tried to give it to him and let him try and make it a play with it. But the score was tied, so I should’ve just went down.”
When asked about Stevenson’s role in the play, Meyers again reiterated that he should’ve been smarter with the ball after his teammate trusted him enough to send it his way. Stevenson, who could’ve ended the sequence had he held onto the ball, echoed Meyers’s sentiments when asked for his take on what led to Sunday’s stunning result.
“If I didn’t pitch it back to him, Jakobi wouldn’t have even done that so I take full responsibility,” Stevenson said, via Patriots reporter Alexandria Francisco.
On a crazy NFL Sunday loaded with surprises, New England’s head-spinning final play will go down as one of Week 15’s lasting images, and a harsh reminder to all football fans of how quickly momentum can swing at any given moment.
The Patriots (7–7) will now head into a Week 16 meeting against the Bengals (10–4) looking to get their season back on track after one of the wildest finishes in recent memory.
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