Jakobi Meyers flashed a transcendent smile as he heard the phrase “last year.” The 26-year-old wide receiver interrupted a reporter’s question, excitedly slamming his fist on the lectern in front of him.
“I was waiting on it. I was waiting on it. Thank you,” Meyers said at a news conference in March introducing him as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, days after he signed a three-year, $33 million deal in free agency.
The it Meyers was waiting for: being asked about his role in one of the most notorious NFL gaffes in recent memory.
In Las Vegas last December, with three seconds remaining in a tie game between the Raiders and Patriots, New England called a draw to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, to run out the clock and head to overtime. Stevenson ran for 23 yards — then lateraled the ball to Meyers, who was in his fourth season with the Patriots. Meyers quickly unleashed a backward lateral pass in the direction of trailing QB Mac Jones, which then-Raider Chandler Jones intercepted. Jones stiff-armed Mac Jones and ran it back for a game-winning 48-yard touchdown as time expired. The loss dropped the Patriots to 7-7. They finished 8-9, missing the playoffs by one game.
One Patriots blog dubbed it The Lunatic Lateral. The Fresno Bee, writing from the Raiders’ point of view, titled it Sin City Miracle.
“That was our year in one play. It exemplified our 2022 season,” Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne told me last month. “Communication was an issue. We weren’t on the same page. All we had to do was down the ball. Craziest play in NFL history to lose on. But what I’m proud of: We did a good job of sticking to our togetherness through the chaos.”
The Patriots and Raiders are set to face each other again this Sunday, 301 days after that gaffe, on the same Allegiant Stadium field where it took place. There are many storylines tied to this matchup — several Raiders, including Meyers, head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, will face the team they once played or worked for, with the narrative of revenge likely to crop up in the media. (McDaniels said this week that that “horse is dead. We’ve beat it enough.”) More importantly, both teams have an opportunity to turn around their respective seasons after slow starts.
As for Meyers, he is coming off a strong performance in the Raiders’ Week 5 win over the Packers, totaling seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Despite missing Week 2, he is on pace to shatter his previous personal bests in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. He has also discussed the game-ending gaffe in public, including immediately afterward and during that news conference in March. He declined an opportunity to be interviewed for this article.
However, Meyers wasn’t the initial player to make such a mistake, and he definitely won’t be the last. What experiences does a player endure when a hasty error they make becomes viral? How does a player persevere amidst the potential of becoming a running joke that may persist even after retirement?
‘The ideal blooper play’
From Garo Yepremian’s ill-fated reaction to a blocked kick in Super Bowl VII to Leon Lett’s Thanksgiving blunder in 1993 to Mark Sanchez’s butt fumble in 2012, NFL history is full of the kinds of gaffes that are today replayed endlessly on highlight shows or go viral on social media. Seemingly anyone can become a laughingstock, and short clips often do not make room for the context behind a mistake.
“15 years ago, I made a blunder that people remind me of nearly every day,” stated Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL QB with 12 years’ experience, now working as an ESPN analyst. “About half a decade ago, I began analyzing plays on social media. The dominant response was, ‘Aren’t you the fool who ran out of the end zone? Why should I pay attention to you?’ I would answer, ‘Yes, and it’s my responsibility to change your perception of me. I have to continually prove my worthiness of your time and attention. I’m determined to show that I am much more than that one football play.'”
Orlovsky’s moment happened in the first quarter of his first career NFL start, on Oct. 12, 2008, when he was with the Detroit Lions. The Lions were backed up at their own 1-yard-line, and as Orlovsky recalls, Detroit coaches decided to call a one-route pass play out of shotgun, despite Orlovsky’s objection. Orlovsky tried to escape pressure from Minnesota Vikings star defensive end Jared Allen by shuffling back and away — until he inadvertently ran out the back of the end zone for a safety. Detroit lost, 12-10, the difference being the safety, en route to an infamous 0-16 season.
Orlovsky described the situation as incredibly embarrassing when it occurred, deeming it the perfect blooper moment and a humorous play. He admitted he was caught off guard and made a foolish mistake. He emphasized that he never blamed anyone else. Despite the humiliating nature of the play, he clarified that he never let the incident cause him personal embarrassment.
Orlovsky recalls that his teammates’ reaction to the play was one of humor, not sadness. He mentioned that they laughed at him. Lions receivers Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams held their laughter until Orlovsky reached the sideline, at which point they erupted into continuous, uncontrollable laughter for an extended period of time, according to Orlovsky.
Several months later, after Orlovsky joined the Houston Texans as a free agent, his new wide receiver, David Anderson, introduced himself to the backup QB with a straightforward statement: “I’m never going to let you live this down.”
Initially, Orlovsky faced challenging moments, particularly with persistent reminders of the play. However, he vowed to use it as a life lesson for his future children, demonstrating that one can make mistakes, feel overwhelmed by the world, and still overcome it.
“I said, Dan, it’s never going to get worse than that. Don’t let it break you. Prove that you’re tougher than that. Prove that you won’t let it define you,” Orlovsky said. “I always ran toward it. I always disarmed it by making fun of it myself. I played in the NFL for 12 years. I ran a 6.2 40 as a sophomore in high school. I couldn’t bench 135 when I got to college. I never struggled to know who I was.”
Nowadays, Orlovsky spends his time educating viewers on players’ strengths and weaknesses while highlighting scheme nuances on ESPN’s NFL Live and college football broadcasts. He’s proud that more people know him as an excellent broadcaster than an NFL player, and every once in a while, he can joke when another QB repeats his end-zone mistake, like Indianapolis Colts QB Gardner Minshew did in Week 3 this season and Jimmy Garoppolo did last year.
In the end, Orlovsky handled his viral blunder by relying on his faith and not taking himself too seriously. This is also the counsel he would offer to Meyers or anyone else who finds themselves in a similar situation of a mistake going viral.
Orlovsky stated, “I believe that play will always be remembered. However, I’ve achieved more in my life than I ever envisioned. I’ve decided to never regard the play with sorrow.”
‘We can’t let one play break us’
Last month, Kendrick Bourne took a profound breath before he started sharing with me about the challenging 2022 Patriots season, which he referred to as the toughest year of his life.
Bourne shared that his personal psychological, emotional, and physical challenges contributed to a noticeable decline in his performance from his peak 2021 season. He also disclosed that the introduction of a new offensive coaching team in New England was a factor, as he was among the Patriots players who found the transition difficult.
The Pats’ offense ultimately underperformed, ranking 26th in total yards. This is only the second time that New England has ranked below the top 25 since Bill Belichick took over as head coach in 2000.
Bourne commented that initially, the choice to have Matt Patricia and Joe Judge direct the offense was dubious. However, as players, we had no say in the matter. We, as a group, didn’t gel well. There was a lack of discipline, and we were a one-dimensional team with limited strategies to bewilder the defenses. Our scheme and diversity were lacking. We ought to have performed better. The responsibility lies with both the coaches and players.
The play from the Raiders you’re referring to was a true representation of our tumultuous 2022 season. It was a catastrophic battle. However, our response to it also showcased the unity within our team.
Meyers had tears in his eyes and a red face as he spoke with reporters in the locker room after his shocking December lateral decision. He said he was “trying to do too much, trying to be a hero,” despite a clear instruction in the huddle to run the ball, go down and get ready for overtime. Meyers deflected questions about Stevenson, who made a mistake with the initial pitch to him, and put it all on himself.
Meyers confessed to reporters in March, “It was a humbling experience for me both as a man and as a football player. It was truly tough. I understood the significance it had for the team I was part of then, and it really pained me. Family, as I have always said, holds great importance for me.”
At the time when I experienced it, my heart was shattered. However, in the days that followed, seeing the support I got from others really helped me grow as an individual.
Bourne narrates that Meyers’ second family took action. Numerous Patriots teammates, Bourne included, instantly acted as his support network, protecting him from criticism and providing continuous encouragement.
A few gave a hug. Others offered advice. And many just simply told him: We got you; it’s not all on you.
Bourne, who is leading the 2023 Patriots in receiving yards, stated, “A Jakobi lateral won’t happen if we score a field goal. Jakobi can’t throw if ‘Mondre doesn’t pass the ball. Maybe he can’t move on if we start blaming each other. Some players might never be able to get past that situation. I’ve experienced my own personal and team challenges. Despite everything, players remain united.”
We remain glued to our phones, constantly exposed to negativity. Our means of dealing with this is by sticking together. We cannot allow a single setback to shatter us.
There were cruel social media insults, jokes and criticisms. Meyers and the Patriots were ridiculed on TV. But then, six days later, Meyers responded with one of his best games: six catches, 83 yards and a touchdown. Afterward, Meyers expressed gratitude for the lessons he learned over the previous week.
“Craziest play in NFL history to lose on. But what I’m proud of: We did a good job of sticking to our togetherness through the chaos.” — Kendrick Bourne
On Sunday, for the first time, Meyers will face the team with which he broke into the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He led the Patriots in receiving yards in 2020, 2021 and 2022, demonstrating separation ability, route running and blocking in the run game. Meyers has said he was interested in re-signing with the Patriots once he hit free agency in March, but ultimately he ended up with the Raiders. He also has noted that he was disappointed that he couldn’t say a proper goodbye at the end of his New England tenure.
Shortly after Meyers signed with Las Vegas, the Patriots signed receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to a deal that was similar to what Meyers received from the Raiders, prompting Meyers to tweet: “Cold world lol.” (Meyers later said he was “being childish” with regard to the tweet.)
“Free agency is a process, not a trade, nor was it planned. It just happened that way,” Belichick explained to journalists regarding the decisions about Meyers and Smith-Schuster at the Annual League Meeting in March. In his conversation with journalists this week, Belichick stated that targeting Meyers was a priority during the offseason. Talks with Meyers and the Patriots were relatively close, he added, but emphasized that Meyers, being a free agent, eventually signed with the Raiders.
So far, the Raiders seem to have made superior free agency decisions. Meyers has made 25 catches for a total of 274 yards and three touchdowns in four games. In contrast, Smith-Schuster has had 14 catches for 86 yards and hasn’t scored any touchdowns in five games. Furthermore, the Patriots’ offense has been dealing with early challenges.
Regardless of its fairness, Meyers is certain to recall the notorious error that marked the previous Patriots-Raiders match. Although he’s now clad in a new uniform and performing at a higher level than ever before, he appears to intend to bring along a single aspect from his past. As he expressed in March:
Now I understand that when any of my teammates make a mistake, I know exactly who I want to be in that moment. I know how I want to assist them and the kind of love and support I wish to offer.
