The New England Patriots' last-ditch comeback attempt fell short after their left guard was judged short of the first down marker after a review.
That may sound like the final scene of a bizarre sports film. However, it is exactly what happened on Sunday night when the Patriots were defeated by the Miami Dolphins.
New England faced a fourth-and-four with exactly one minute remaining and no timeouts remaining.
he Dolphins would win the game if the Patriots failed to convert. Mac Jones connected with tight end Mike Gesicki on a pass.
However, Miami's pass rush led Jones' pass to be underthrown, requiring Gesicki to return to catch it. He was not only short of the first down marker, but his entire momentum was in the opposite way.
Justin Bethel of Miami grabbed Gesicki. And, despite outweighing Bethel by 50 pounds, Gesicki was unable to break free from the Dolphins CB.
The tight end had a secret weapon. Gesecki had one more trick in his sleeve before collapsing and lateraled the ball to his friend, offensive lineman Cole Strange.
Strange doesn't have much experience as a ball carrier, but you'd never know it on Sunday. Strange surged ahead, appearing to get the first down.
The play was, of course, reviewed. Strange was judged short after further review, which NBC rules expert and former NFL referee Terry McAulay called "obvious."