Lamar Jackson admits he still believes Isaiah Likely scored on last play of Chiefs thriller

Lamar Jackson admits he still believes Isaiah Likely scored on last play of Chiefs thriller

A football field may be 120 yards long, or 53.3 yards wide, or approximately 57,600 square feet–but it’s a game of inches.

In the NFL’s season-opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, how the final outcome–a 27-20 Chiefs win–transpired encapsulated the aforementioned “game of inches” phrase.

On the game’s final play, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson rifled a 10-yard pass to tight end Isaiah Likely in the back of the endzone as time expired … except Likely’s right foot was a half-inch out of bounds upon landing, thus sealing the victory for Baltimore.

Jackson, however, still believes Likely got both feet in.

“I thought it was a touchdown,” he said, according to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “I thought it was a touchdown. I still think it’s a touchdown.”

Upon further review … Jackson’s incorrect. Likely’s foot–heck, his toe–was barely out. A game of inches … or the game of millimeters.

Likely set career highs in receptions (11) and yards (111) Thursday evening, scoring a 49-yard touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to cut Baltimore’s deficit to 20-17.

ISAIAH LIKELY 49-YARD TOUCHDOWN!!!#NFL #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/DE3pVQld9E

— Vendetta Media (@VendettaVSM) September 6, 2024

Trey’s preseason prediction about Likely looks excellent as of right now, too.

🤔🧀 @treydaubert https://t.co/Bpz1HVgsY2 pic.twitter.com/BU3TheomHK

— Vendetta Media (@VendettaVSM) September 6, 2024

Likely took accountability for not having both feet in–even though he still possessed ridiculous body control to almost have both feet in.

“That’s on me,” Likely told reporters. “I just have to get both feet in. I harp on myself to catch everything and make sure everybody puts us in the best possibility, so I take responsibility. Next time, I’m going to get my feet down.”

To some extent, I can’t fault Jackson for being in denial; I’d be in disbelief if I endured those waves of emotions in that exact moment, too, even though it’s objectively wrong in retrospect.

The game might’ve been ugly at certain points–especially for the officiating and their 3,000 illegal formation penalties–but it’s hard to kick off an NFL season with a much more thrilling end regardless of who you were rooting for.

***

SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!

SHOP for Vendetta Merch!

SUPPORT Vendetta on Patreon!

CHECK OUT our Vendetta NFL Content