Patriots' Jakobi Meyers: I Was 'Trying to Be a Hero' on Final Play in Loss to Raiders
Dec 19, 2022
New England Patriots wide receiver Jakobi Meyers makes a 39-yard reception during the second half of an NFL football game between the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Jakobi Meyers will always be part of one of the most unbelievable endings of a game in NFL history.
He surely wishes that wasn't the case.
With Sunday's game tied at 24, New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson ran into Las Vegas Raiders' territory during what seemed to be the final play of regulation. Rather than go down, he flipped it to Meyers.
Meyers didn't have a running lane in front of him, so he turned around and started going backward until he unleashed a long lateral in the direction of quarterback Mac Jones. Chandler Jones of the Raiders snagged it, shoved a flailing Mac Jones to the ground, and ran the rest of the way for a stunning touchdown to win the game.
"I was trying to do too much," Meyers told reporters after the game. "… Trying to be a hero, I guess."
There were a number of things that went wrong during the play, but Meyers' decision-making process was the most obvious one.
He forced the issue as if the Patriots were in desperation mode while trailing instead of just going down or out of bounds and letting the contest go into overtime. To throw the ball that far to his teammate only made things worse.
Yet the quarterback didn't want to blame his wide receiver.
"It's on me," Jones told reporters when speaking about his tackle attempt. "That's my fault … I love Jakobi. It's not Jakobi's fault."
He went on to offer more praise for Meyers:
Mac Jones on Jakobi Meyers' mindset of trying to do too much on that lateral: "Jakobi is one of the best teammates I've ever had. He's a fighter and does whatever he can to help the team. ... There's lots of things I could've done to make sure we're not in that situation." pic.twitter.com/B2H15ucjRw
New England may not have been in that situation if Jones had played better. He finished 13-of-31 for 112 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions while playing uninspiring football. The inability to establish a consistent passing game meant Stevenson's 172 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries went to waste.
It's more of the same for a quarterback who looks like he has taken a step backward this year and has just seven touchdown passes to eight interceptions on the season.
His poor play in Sunday's game surely won't be remembered, though, as the final touchdown will overshadow everything that happened before it. It was even more costly for the Patriots because it knocked them out of the current AFC playoff picture.
They are now 7-7 and looking up at the 9-5 Baltimore Ravens, 8-6 Los Angeles Chargers and 8-6 Miami Dolphins in the race for the three wild-card spots.
Patriots Blasted by NFL Twitter for 'Dumbest' Play Ever in Walk-Off Loss to Raiders
Dec 19, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 18: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots looks on after losing to the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots fell to the Las Vegas Raiders 30-24 on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium and dropped to 7-7 on the season, which is just outside of the AFC playoff picture with three weeks remaining.
But it wasn't the loss alone that sent New England fans into a tizzy, it was the way Bill Belichick's squad lost the game.
After the Raiders managed to tie the game at 24 with 32 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, the Patriots got the ball back with a chance to win the game. On third-and-10 at their own 45-yard line with three seconds remaining, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed to the Las Vegas 32-yard line before lateraling the ball to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.
Meyers then tried to lateral the ball to quarterback Mac Jones, but his pass was caught by Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones, who bowled over Jones and rushed into the end zone for the winning touchdown.
Had Stevenson or Meyers went down, the game would have gone to overtime, where the Patriots would have had more of a chance to win. Instead, NFL Twitter is blasting the Patriots for arguably the "dumbest" play ever:
What were the #Patriots doing there? That may be the worst coaching decision in NFL history.
The Patriots, normally one of the best-coached teams in the NFL, just made a completely unnecessary, mind-numbing mistake to cost them a game they should've won.
Here's the dots for the Patriots-Raiders ending. The best case scenario for this lateral was Chandler Jones flattening Mac Jones like a pancake. Instead, Jones picked the lateral off and flattened the QB, too. Just one of the worst plays you'll ever see. pic.twitter.com/7sb5xXSXJU
I’ve never seen a team literally throw the game away like I just say the #Patriots do. Beyond embarrassing. I am so disgusted and furious with what just took place
congratulations to the new england patriots for doing something so dumb that it shocked me, someone who has watched roughly 90% of all cleveland browns games since 1999
A lot has gone wrong for the Patriots this season, but nothing else has been quite like what we witnessed on Sunday.
That said, the Patriots offense didn't play well the entire game. Jones completed just 13-of-31 passes for 112 yards as he struggled to move the ball downfield. Stevenson was the only bright spot with 172 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Had the Patriots won, they would have locked themselves into a three-way tie with the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins at the back end of the AFC playoff picture. Instead, they're a game behind both at eight in the AFC and face an uphill battle to secure a postseason berth over the last three weeks of the season.
New England will face the Cincinnati Bengals (10-4), Dolphins (8-6) and Buffalo Bills (11-3) to close the season.
Former Patriots WR Julian Edelman Says 3 Teams Have Contacted Him About NFL Return
Dec 18, 2022
England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Seattle. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)
Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said during an appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston that he has been approached by three teams about returning to the NFL this season, per Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston.
"There's been some calls, and I've turned them down," Edelman said.
He added: "The situation would have to be in New England with a New England team that's a contender."
Edelman has been retired for nearly two years. He hung up the cleats after he failed his physical before the 2021 season and had his contract terminated by the Patriots.
The 36-year-old spent his entire 12-year career in New England, helping the Patriots win three Super Bowls—he also earned the Super Bowl LIII MVP award—alongside legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Edelman caught 620 passes for 6,822 yards and 36 touchdowns in 137 career games. In 19 playoff games, he caught 118 passes for 1,442 yards and five scores.
If the Patriots were one of the teams to contact Edelman about a potential NFL return, it's not necessarily surprising that he turned them down. Bill Belichick's squad enters Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders third in the AFC East with a 7-6 record, though they do hold the seventh and final seed in the conference for the postseason.
Additionally, it's unclear how Edelman would perform after being away from the NFL for almost two years.
Of course, it's possible he could return and be a serviceable player for any franchise in need of some depth out wide.
For example, former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski retired after the 2018 season only to return in 2020 to play alongside Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 28 games across the 2020 and 2021 season, he caught 100 passes for 1,425 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also caught 17 passes for 226 yards and three scores in six postseason games.
While Edelman doesn't plan on returning this season, it's hard to completely rule out his potential return to the NFL in 2023, especially considering teams are still interested in him.
Patriots Rumors: Matt Patricia Could Return as Offensive Coordinator Next Season
Dec 15, 2022
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 16: Senior football advisor/offensive line Matt Patricia of the New England Patriots walks onto the field prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 16, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
The New England Patriots have struggled on offense this season, and NBCSports Boston's Tom E. Curran said on the Merloni, Fauria, & Mego show Thursday that Matt Patricia returning as offensive coordinator is a possibility for next season:
Tom E. Curran reveals there is still a possibility that Matt Patricia will return as the Offensive coordinator next season.
He did add, however, that the Patriots may need to take a closer look at the coaching staff this offseason:
"I think that the biggest concern is that this is a very cloistered Patriots' society right now, and when you think about it, some of the biggest voices in it are people who are retreads, who are relied upon but not even paid by the team right now completely. Joe Judge and Patricia are both collecting from their former head-coaching jobs. So, to me, the world has to be opened up to new and fresh ideas, and I would imagine that Bill Belichick will probably do that if it keeps going the way it's going."
Patricia's official title is senior football advisor and offensive line coach, while Judge is considered an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach.
But for all intents and purposes, Patricia is the offensive coordinator and calls the team's plays on that side of the ball. As Arizona Cardinals' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph noted in the lead-up to New England's 27-13 win against the Cards on Monday night, Patricia's background as a defensive coach has shone through in his offensive style.
"I see an offense that's running the football well. It's a very conservative pass game—lot of screens, all kind of screens. It's how a defensive guy would call offensive plays—'let's not turn the ball over, let's get four yards a play, and let's try to burn clock,'" he told reporters last week. "That's what they're doing and that's what he's going to do on Monday night. He's going to be patient. Maybe take a shot from time to time. But for the most part, it's run game, it's quick game, and it's screens."
It is not an offense, however, that has been terribly effective overall. The Patriots rank 21st in pass yards per game (214.8), 23rd in run yards per contest (104.8) and 18th in points per game (21.2).
It has clearly caused frustrations for second-year quarterback Mac Jones, who was seen getting visibly frustrated on the sidelines during the team's 24-10 loss against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago. At one point, cameras caught him appearing to say, "Throw the f--king ball! The quick game sucks!"
"Obviously, I just kind of let my emotions get to me," he told reporters after the game. "What I said was about throwing it deeper within the short game. I got to execute that part better. But it's the short game that we kept going to, which is working. But I felt like we needed chunk plays. I shouted that out to kind of get everyone going. That's emotional. That's football. I'm passionate about this game.
"Obviously, you don't want to let your emotions get the best of you," he added. "I think that's pretty much it. It wasn't directed at anybody. Just emotion coming out. We kind of needed a spark."
The stakes are high for the Patriots down the stretch. At 7-6, the Pats are currently the No. 7 seed in the AFC, with the Los Angeles Chargers (7-6) and New York Jets (7-6) nipping at their heels. The Pats have a tough close to the season, with the Las Vegas Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Bills looming on the schedule.
The Pats need the offense to produce. If it doesn't, missing the playoffs is a very real possibility. And if that happens, the Patriots will have to take a long, hard look at whether Patricia—whose coaching background is primarily on the defensive side of the ball—is the right man to be calling plays for the offense.
Patriots' DeVante Parker Calls Out NFL After Concussion: 'Get on Yalls F--kin Job'
Dec 13, 2022
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 12: DeVante Parker #1 of the New England Patriots is assisted off the field after a play against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter of the game at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
New England Patriots receiver DeVante Parker called out the NFL for its handling of the concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury in Monday's game against the Arizona Cardinals:
DeVante Parker speaks out on the NFL’s handling of his head injury (and thanks Nelson Agholor for his help). pic.twitter.com/6iKAK0pYYk
Parker suffered a hard hit in the first quarter while making a catch and showed signs of a concussion, but he remained in the game and was set to take part in the following play, even though teammate Nelson Agholor was signaling officials to blow the whistle. The Cardinals challenged the catch, which stopped the game, and Parker was subbed out.
The NFL has unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants at each game who are supposed to remove players from games when they show signs of a possible concussion.
The league also updated its protocols in October after a high-profile incident with Tua Tagovailoa. The Miami Dolphins quarterback remained in his team's Week 3 game despite showing balance issues after hitting his head. In Week 4, he took another big hit and was carted off the field and sent to the hospital.
The situation also took place on national television, and the announcers recognized issues with the receiver.
"They're going to be watching him—somebody upstairs should be," ESPN's Troy Aikman said of Parker (h/t Awful Announcing). "He looked a little wobbly coming up."
Parker is in his first season with the Patriots after spending seven years with the Dolphins. He has 460 yards on 25 catches this season, leading the NFL with 18.4 yards per reception.
NFL, NFLPA Reviewing Handling of Patriots' DeVante Parker's Concussion vs. Cardinals
Dec 13, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 24: DeVante Parker #1 of the New England Patriots looks on against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Patriots 33-26. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
New England Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker suffered a concussion during Monday's win over the Arizona Cardinals, and the league and the NFLPA are investigating how the injury was handled.
Parker appeared to come up wobbly following a hit, as ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman noticed.
The game only stopped because fellow Patriots wide receiver Nelson Agholor recognized something was wrong and waved his arms to catch the attention of others.
Parker does not seem pleased with the situation:
DeVante Parker speaks out on the NFL’s handling of his head injury (and thanks Nelson Agholor for his help). pic.twitter.com/6iKAK0pYYk
The play happened during the first quarter when Parker took a hit from Cardinals defensive back Antonio Hamilton.
It wasn't clear whether Parker completed the catch, so the Patriots hustled to the line of scrimmage in an effort to snap it before a challenge could occur. While that added to the confusion of the situation, Agholor lined up alongside Parker and attempted to call for a stoppage.
The stoppage came, but only because the Cardinals challenged whether it was a catch.
Parker left for the locker room during the unsuccessful challenge and never returned to the game.
The treatment and recognition of concussion symptoms has been a major storyline in the NFL this season because of a previous review of how Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's injury was handled.
As ESPN noted, Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground and then stumbled on his way back to the huddle during a Week 3 win over the Buffalo Bills. He told the team physician and an independent neurotrauma consultant that ankle and back injuries caused him to stumble.
However, he suffered a concussion during a scary scene just four days later against the Cincinnati Bengals and was hospitalized, and he missed nearly a month of play.
The independent neurotrauma consultant from the Week 3 game was fired, and the league and NFLPA changed the concussion protocol to include ataxia, which would have covered Tagovailoa's stumbling, to the list of symptoms that mean a player should not be on the field.
As for the Patriots, they improved to 7-6 with Monday's 27-13 win over the Cardinals even though they were without Parker, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris for most of the game.
After a retirement that lasted 40 days earlier this year, Tom Brady opted to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2022 season. While the campaign hasn't...
Mac Jones and Patriots' Offensive Approach is Going to Ruin Playoff Dreams
Dec 13, 2022
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
In the offensive-driven NFL, the New England Patriots are trying to win the hard way.
Monday's 27-13 victory over the Kyler Murray-less Arizona Cardinals is a positive step for New England after losing its previous two games against superior competition. But a 7-6 record and tenuous grasp over the AFC's final playoff spot shows how unsteady the team's position currently is based on how half of the roster continues to perform.
Bill Belichick is the greatest head coach in professional football history. How he's built the Patriots into a consistent winner over two-plus decades during the most competitive period in NFL history is nothing short of astonishing. He's not infallible, though.
Belichick's decision not to hire a legitimate offensive coordinator has brought the expected results. The unit has regressed, and Mac Jones' development has been stunted.
Instead, the Patriots' seasonal aspirations remain intact thanks to an aggressive defense, not the play-calling of defensive-coordinator-turned-head-coach-turned-senior-football-advisor (whatever that title means) Matt Patricia.
Foxborough, MA - December 1: New England Patriots assistant coaches Matt Patricia, right, and Joe Judge look over their respective play sheets. The Patriots lost to the Buffalo Bills, 24-10. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Jones' outburst during the Patriots' previous loss to the Buffalo Bills became the outward manifestation of the frustration that had been bubbling under the surface.
"Obviously, I just kind of let my emotions get to me," Jones explained to reporters. "What I said was about throwing it deeper within the short game. I got to execute that part better. But it's the short game that we kept going to, which is working. But I felt like we needed chunk plays. I shouted that out to kind of get everyone going. That's emotional. That's football. I'm passionate about this game."
Emotions can be a positive if harnessed properly. Tom Brady is known for his sideline tirades, and they occurred quite a few times during his Patriots' tenure. Jones has yet to earn the same level of transparency, yet it's clear he's passionate and wants more from both himself and New England's offense.
"This is an emotional game, and everyone feeds off emotion," Jones said during a postgame interview on ESPN after the Cardinals game. "And I think, at times, we're too flat."
Entering Monday's contest, the Patriots ranked among the bottom half of the league by averaging 20.8 points per game. However, New England leads the league with 85 points off turnovers this season, according to ESPN Stats & Info. In other words, nearly a third of the team's scoring so far came via the help of the defense making big plays.
Against the Cardinals, linebacker Raekwon McMillan returned a fumble 23 yards for a score.
Furthermore, Matthew Judon and Co. are getting after opposing quarterbacks and making life difficult for all opposing offenses. With six sacks Monday, the Patriots defense now ranks third in the category, behind only the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
To be fair, New England's defenders are far more capable of creating explosive plays. The offense? Not so much, especially with injuries to wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and DeVante Parker and running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris.
"I see an offense that's running the football well. It's a very conservative pass game—lot of screens, all kind of screens. It's how a defensive guy would call offensive plays—'let's not turn the ball over, let's get four yards a play, and let's try to burn clock,'" Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said during his team's week of preparation.
"That's what they're doing, and that's what he's going to do on Monday night. He's going to be patient. Maybe take a shot from time to time. But for the most part, it's run game, it's quick game, and it's screens."
As Fantasy Points' Chris Wecht noted, Patricia called 11 screens on 39 dropbacks. According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football, 44 percent of Jones' throws were at or behind the line of scrimmage, and 60 percent of the team's third-down pass attempts were short of the sticks.
To make matters worse, Patricia isn't even trying to build around his unit's strengths. New England claims the league's most effective play-action passing attack, yet utilized a play-fake only three times against the Cardinals, per Sharp.
Unsurprisingly, Jones once again grew frustrated with the offense's performance and let it be known on at least twodifferent occasions. Even so, not much will change through the rest of this season.
"I think we need to do what we're doing better. I don't think at this point making a lot of dramatic changes; it's too hard to do that," Belichick said during his weekly interview on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show.
"If we can just do, consistently, what we're doing, I think we'll be all right. We just haven't been able to have enough consistency. It's not one thing. One time it's one thing. Next time it's something else. We just have to play and coach more consistently."
A few bright spots did appear, particularly among the offense's rookie performers.
New England Patriots running back Pierre Strong Jr. reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
First-year backs Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris carried the ball a combined 13 times for 96 yards and two scores. Strong added two catches out of the backfield for 20 more yards. Second-round speedster Tyquan Thornton collected four passes for 28 yards. As this group continues to grow and become more comfortable, the Patriots offense can be more efficient.
Even with the rookies' in-season development, the entire group is fighting an uphill battle when facing the high-flying offenses in Buffalo, Miami, Kansas City and Cincinnati—three of which New England faces during the final three weeks of the regular season.
The Patriots are also being chased by the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars, who are getting outstanding play from their quarterbacks, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence, respectively. The New York Jets are right there, too, though they have some question marks of their own on offense.
New England's offense is predictable, stale and lacks explosive qualities.
"No, I think the biggest thing is not letting it affect my play and bringing the best out of the guys," Jones responded when asked by reports about his obvious frustration with the offensive scheme.
The Patriots' staff is fooling itself if the coaches actually believe the unit is currently good enough to be a legitimate playoff contender. The defense most certainly is.
But everyone watching New England's offense should react in a similar fashion as Jones has the last two weeks because it's deserving of expletive-ridden ridicule.
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
Patriots Defense Impresses Twitter as New England Tops Kyler Murray-Less Cardinals
Dec 13, 2022
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 12: Raekwon McMillan #50 of the New England Patriots recovers a fumble to score a 23 yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of the game at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
It wasn't always pretty, but the New England Patriots got right back in the playoff picture.
New England defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27-13 on Monday at State Farm Stadium, ending a two-game losing streak and improving to 7-6. The contest was marred by injuries—including a non-contact one Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray suffered on the first possession—but the visitors pulled ahead behind a strong defensive effort.
That showing was critical because the Patriots were without running back Damien Harris and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and then lost running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver DeVante Parker during the contest.
Raekwon McMillan's scoop-and-score in the third quarter on a DeAndre Hopkins fumble put New England ahead for good, Marcus Jones' interception on the ensuing possession ended a potential game-winning drive, and the defense sacked Colt McCoy six times.
The Patriots D drew praise for its clutch performance:
This was an important swing game for the AFC East team. It is now tied with the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets in the race for the final wild-card spot and no longer has to worry about a losing streak spiraling with little time to fix things.
The victors still left plenty to be desired on offense with Mac Jones throwing a pick to Isaiah Simmons, fumbling a handoff exchange as a drive stalled with a field goal right before halftime and even visibly showing frustration with play-caller Matt Patricia, but unexpected touchdowns by running backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr. provided enough support.
McMillan's touchdown swung the game, and the defense looked formidable enough to help the Patriots challenge for a postseason berth.
That unit will look to keep the momentum rolling in the team's next contest, on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Patriots' Rhamondre Stevenson Ruled Out vs. Cardinals After Suffering Ankle Injury
Dec 13, 2022
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 12: Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots is assisted off the field after a play against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter of the game at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots lost one of their top players on offense during Monday night's game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The team announced that running back Rhamondre Stevenson will miss the remainder of the contest after suffering an ankle injury in the first quarter.
Stevenson ran the ball three times for eight yards and caught two passes for two yards prior to being forced to exit the game. He briefly returned for one drive in the second quarter but couldn't play through the injury. Stevenson entered the game as New England's leading rusher with 734 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
A second-year player out of Oklahoma, Stevenson has become the workhorse of the Patriots backfield. His 161 carries entering Monday were nearly double that of backup running back Damien Harris, and his 56 receptions also led the team.
The 2021 fourth-round pick appeared in 12 games as a rookie and ran for 606 yards and five scores.
In addition to Stevenson exiting the game early, New England ruled out wide receiver DeVante Parker (head) and defensive back Jack Jones (knee) for the rest of Monday's game after they also went down in the first half.
The Patriots are left thin in the backfield without Stevenson, as Harris was inactive for the primetime matchup because of a thigh injury. With Stevenson out, New England's only available ball-carriers are rookies Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris, both of whom reached the end zone for their first career touchdowns against the Cardinals.
