A play in the first half of Thursday night’s game against the Houston Texans perfectly encapsulated the struggles of the New York Jets. Kirk Herbstreit and Al Michaels were completely miffed over the mistake that turned a New York touchdown into a turnover.
After the two teams struggled through a scoreless first quarter, the Jets appeared to break a scoreless tie with a 19-yard touchdown run from rookie receiver Malachi Corley early in the second quarter. Appearances, though, were deceiving. While Corley crossed the goal line untouched, it immediately looked like he might have dropped the ball before crossing the plane. The review of the play confirmed he did just that. If a Jet had picked the ball up, it would have been a touchdown. If the ball sat untouched in the end zone, New York would have gotten the ball from the spot of the fumble. But the ball rolled out of bounds, resulting in a touchback and a first down for the Texans.
Herbstreit immediately asked the obvious question.
“What in the heck is he thinking?” Herbstreit said. Why the urgency for some of these guys to drop the ball? Even if it’s close. Finish the play. Get it in the end zone.”
“Absolutely,” Michaels added. “You see it time and time again. So the first rush of his career, he’ll remember forever.”
“What in the heck is he thinking? Why the urgency for some of these guys to drop the ball? Even if it’s close. Finish the play. Get it in the end zone.”
A dumbfounded Kirk Herbstreit on Malachi Corley’s dumb mistake. pic.twitter.com/W3NbzXT9RO
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 1, 2024
They were not done, as the criticism continued during Houston’s subsequent possession.
“Keep in mind, you’re talking about a team that’s struggling,” Herbstreit said. “They’ve lost five in a row. Their interim head coach has been the head coach for three games. This is a team that’s 2-6. They’re desperate to get a win. Desperate to do all the little things right. And we’ve seen the same errors. Especially a big one there where they could be up seven and feeling good about where they are.”
Kirk Herbstreit: This is a team that’s 2-6. They’re desperate to get a win. Desperate to do all the little things right. And we’ve seen the same errors.
Al Michaels: The way they’ve lost these 5 games, in every manner. Now you got this. That’s something new. https://t.co/hO4GUpRMrT pic.twitter.com/v4z8vw94s8
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 1, 2024
“We said at the top, the way they’ve lost these 5 games, in every manner,” Michaels said. “Now you got this. That’s something new. If it comes back to haunt them on Halloween night.”
[Photo Credit: Prime Video]
