‘What a colossal disaster’: Pundits react to Patriots’ final-play blunder

Rhamondre Stevenson laterals the ball during the fourth quarter. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

December 18, 2022

1 minute to read

Following a truly bizarre play at the end of Sunday’s Patriots-Raiders game, fans and sportscasters reacted on social media, as one would expect, with a steady stream of shock, snark, and general outrage.

On the final play of the 4th quarter with the score tied at 24, the Patriots attempted to win the game with a series of laterals, rather than heading safely into overtime. One of those laterals, pitched by wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, was intercepted by former Patriot Chandler Jones who took it to the end zone for the game-winner.

Here’s a sampling of the reaction on Twitter:

this is the dumbest play in the history of football, and it's perfectpic.twitter.com/Kw4IkxtbAC
— SB Nation (@SBNation) December 19, 2022

There’s losing, and there’s literally giving a game away. What a colossal disaster of a final minute for the #Patriots.
— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) December 19, 2022

It’s official. In 40 years of watching football, this is the dumbest thing I have ever seen a team do. How far the @Patriots have fallen. They will be talking about this in 25 years as perhaps the dumbest football play ever. https://t.co/jyfJtPnb2H
— Steve Marchand (@marchandsteve) December 19, 2022

https://twitter.com/Ryan_Spags/status/1604644598227341312

Dumbest most indefensible last second Patriots loss of my lifetime. And I’m old enough to remember the Joe Ferguson Hail Mary.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 19, 2022

HOLY GUACAMOLE! Patriots fans, I feel for you. You don’t call that play on the last play of regulation when the game is tied. ONLY WHEN YOU ARE DOWN, on the last play of the game and it’s desperation time. Apparently the Patriots were desperate to lose.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 19, 2022

A decent “Waterboy” reference here: