With seconds remaining in the first half, the New England Patriots were threatening to score a touchdown and extend their 7-6 lead over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. While quarterback Mac Jones barked out plays on third-and-five, CBS announcers Greg Gumbel and Adam Archuleta discussed the possibilities.
“Something conservative, maybe a wide receiver screen,” said Archuleta, attempting to predict the play call. “Jakobi Meyers is his favorite target in the red zone.”
With that, Jones got the ball, stepped back, and fired a touchdown pass to tight end, Hunter Henry, to make it 14-6.
Mac Jones throws a strike to @Hunter_Henry84 for a @Patriots TD! #ForeverNE
đź“ş: #NEvsCARÂ on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/tBhnk7ugM1— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2021
All of this would be fine except for the way the entire sequence of events flew in the face of reality.
First, not only is Meyers not Jones’ favorite red-zone target but the wide receiver actually doesn’t even have a touchdown in his entire career, let alone this season. Given how many games he’s played, it’s actually notable how little Meyers have made it into the endzone.
Per @ESPNStatsInfo: Jakobi Meyers entered today with 116 receptions and 0 receiving TDs. That is the most receptions through 35 career games without a receiving TD since the 1970 merger. Today is Meyers' 35th game. He had a receiving TD overturned via a holding penalty.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 17, 2021
Not only that, the guy who caught the touchdown pass, Hunter Henry, is the correct answer to the question, “Who is Mac Jones’ favorite red-zone target?” Henry came into Sunday with four touchdowns, double the next guy on the list, and added that aforementioned score to the list.
Plus, as Larry Brown Sports noted, even if Archuleta was trying to say that Meyer gets targeted the most by Jones, even that wouldn’t make sense. Both Henry and tight end Jonnu Smith get more red-zone targets than him.
To say that Archuleta’s comment about Meyers left a lot of people scratching their heads would be apt.
Jakobi Meyers is who’s favorite red zone target??? Not a great day for Adam Archuleta
— Kevin Moore (@KMooreTV) November 7, 2021
“Jakobi Meyers is his favorite target in the red zone”. You sure, Adam?
— Kevin Peters (@kfpeters) November 7, 2021
"Jacobi Meyers is his favorite target in the red zone."
Jacobi Meyers, zero career touchdowns.— Rex Dart (@the_eskimo_spy) November 7, 2021
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) November 7, 2021
Archuleta apparently corrected himself later on the broadcast, so you can’t say that he’s not open to the feedback.
I give Adam Archuleta credit for correcting his statement that Jakobi Meyers was Mac Jones' favorite target earlier in the game. He owned it. Well done. Of course if some announcers did this they would spend the entire broadcast correcting themselves.
— Andy Hart (@JumboHart) November 7, 2021
