If DeSean Jackson scored on the final play, would it have counted?
Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston tosses the ball backward on the final play of Tampa Bay's loss in Atlanta. Adam Humphries and Mike Evans also touch the ball on the play, which ends with a lateral to DeSean Jackson going out of bounds.
[AP Photo/John Amis]
Rick Stroud
Times staff writer
Published: October 15, 2018 at 12:39 PM
ATLANTA —It was a scintillating play, one that appeared to nearly work.
But the Bucs last-gasp attempt to score from the 21 yard line as time expired in Sunday's 34-29 loss to Atlanta would not have counted even if receiver DeSean Jackson fielded a lateral from Mike Evans and raced to the end zone.
Here's what happened. With seven seconds remaining, no timeouts and needing a touchdown to win, Jameis Winston ran a quarterback draw play. As he was being tackled, he pitched the football backward. It hit the ground and was bobbled by receiver Adam Humphries before Mike Evans got hold of it and threw the football to Jackson. But the lateral hit the ground and rolled out of bounds at the 8-yard line.
After the game, Evans bemoaned his poor pitch to Jackson. And Jackson wished he had fielded the ball before it went out of bounds.
But would it have counted if Jackson had scored?
NFL rules say when the game is under the two-minute mark, only the fumbling player can advance a fumble. Some with the Bucs believe the play would not have counted because the play was over the second Winston's pitch hit the ground.
Pro Football Talk said they contacted the NFL and were told "that Jackson could have picked up the loose ball at the end of the game and scored a touchdown. That's because the loose ball came on a backward pass, not a fumble."
Winston waited too long to throw the pass and was already in contact with a defensive player. In a perfect world, he would be able to throw a lateral all the way to the sideline to either Evans or Jackson.
