Jacksonville Jaguars prayers are answered after Hail Mary win over the Houston Texans
The Jacksonville Jaguars scored on an unbelievable Hail Mary in the final seconds of the game to notch a 31-24 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday 14 November.
How it happened
They're already calling it the play of the year. With the score tied 24-24, Jaguars quarterback David Garrard put up a prayer, chucking the football 50 yards towards the end zone on the last play of the
game. Texans cornerback Glover Quin attempted to bat the ball out of the air to force an incompletion, but instead unwittingly batted the ball directly into the waiting arms of Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas for the win.
It was a game which really separated the two teams by a single play as each matched the other stride for stride. The Jaguars went into half-time up by two touchdowns which were quickly canceled out in
the third quarter by the Texans. The two teams traded touchdowns in the fourth quarter before the Jaguars recovered a Texans fumble and then worked themselves into position for the decisive strike.
What they're saying
"We definitely lucked out on that one," running back Maurice Jones-Drew told reporters after the game. "Mike Thomas was in the right place at the right time."
"It was definitely a surprise," Thomas, who had eight catches for 149 yards on the day, said about his Hail Mary catch. "You don't expect that kind of play to go the way it's supposed to go. I was shocked
and a little stunned."
"It's a crazy play," Texans receiver Andre Johnson, who matched Thomas all the way as the top receiver on the day for his team with nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. "I don't think any of their
guys jumped up to try to catch the ball. You think about it, you're snake-bitten because you don't see that happen too often. They made the play and we didn't."
What it all means
Whether it was luck or divine intervention, the result helps the Jaguars keep pace in a very competitive AFC South Division while the Texans drop below .500 for the first time this season.
The 5-4 Jaguars now get set to host the 3-6 Cleveland Browns next Sunday 21 November.
The Texans have now lost three games in a row and once again look poised to drop out of the play-off race despite an impressive start to the season. They have a huge test next Sunday when they take on
the AFC leading New York Jets at the New Meadowlands Stadium in New York.
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