New England Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers isn’t making excuses for committing the heartbreaking turnover that resulted in the game-winning touchdown for the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
With only three seconds left in the fourth quarter and the game tied, the Patriots called up a running play for Rhamondre Stevenson, who tossed a lateral pass to Meyers on the field. Meyers then attempted a second lateral throw that ended up being picked off by Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones and taken to the house for a touchdown.
After the game, the sting of defeat and disappointment filled the room as Meyers tried to explain what happened on the field.
“I was just trying to do too much, trying to be a hero, I guess,” said Meyers. “I didn’t see the dude back there, trying to throw the ball. Like I said, I was just doing too much. I should have just went down with the ball.”
An emotional Jakobi Meyers said he was “trying to do too much and trying to be a hero” on the final play. Said he knew the score was tied and the play didn’t call for a lateral. pic.twitter.com/KiOIjKOqcR
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) December 19, 2022
Meyers deserves a lot of credit for stepping up and taking responsibility for the play, but it still doesn’t change the fact that he shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place.
The Patriots should have downed the ball and taken the game into overtime in that situation. If they wanted to draw up a play, they would have been better off calling a Hail Mary instead of a running play.
It was simply a bad coaching decision that led to a heartbreaking loss for a Patriots team that once again finds itself on the outside of the playoff picture.
