The way the New England Patriots lost Sunday has been called many things since but none may be better than this.
If you don’t know by now, New England threw away the game (and maybe their playoff hopes) against the Las Vegas Raiders when a duo of laterals beginning with Rhamondre Jones and ending with Mac Jones being shoved into the turf and beyond led to Chandler Jones intercepting Jakobi Meyers’ pass, bringing it into the endzone for the walk-off win.
Everyone has commented from Stephen A. Smith calling it the “dumbest play” in NFL history to Julian Edelman being confused about what actually happened. The point is, it’s all bad. But a former Patriot had the best call as to what the play was.
Former NFL defensive end Chris Long discussed the play with his brother Kyle Long on his “Green Light” podcast, going as far as naming the blunder of Bill Belichick’s the most “un-patriotic” in history.
“The last play is inexcusable,” Long said, per the podcast-provided video. “I have never seen anything like this in my life. And for it to happen to the New England Patriots man. This is the most un-patriotic play of all time.”
Long didn’t stop there, however, as he questioned the reaction of Patriots play-caller Matt Patricia, who was clapping on the sideline as the play happened.
“I don’t know if I’m blaming Stevenson,” Long continued, “because Stevenson pitches it to (Meyers) and then (Meyers), I don’t know if it feels reactionary to him because he knows the score, right? What’s Mac Jones going to do with that ball?
“… And here’s what I really want to know. And last night I’m watching. I got ‘SportsCenter’ on and I’m rewinding and going back and forth and back and forth. I’m going enhance and I’m trying to see Matty P — if you watch him on the sideline, I’m watching people’s reactions. And as the pitch happens and Jakobi Meyers running with the ball before he throws it backwards, Matty P claps like four times. Is he clapping good job? Or is he like stop?”
If anyone understands what the “Patriots Way” is, it’s Long. The defensive end spent one season with the Patriots in 2016 as he played a key part on the defense in their run to winning Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons.
Here’s to hoping the current Patriots can figure it out soon enough as they’re onto (playing) Cincinnati on Christmas Eve.
