Las Vegas Raiders vs Chiefs 2021 Week 10: Studs and Duds
Duds – DeSean Jackson
The infamous play featuring Desean Jackson on Sunday night was a microcosm of everything this team and fanbase has been through these past few years. With the Raiders trailing 24-14, Carr hits Jackson down the field for what looks like a sure touchdown, beating safety Tyrann Mathieu on a huge play that would have brought the Raiders right back into the game.
Instead, in one of the most bizarre plays we have ever seen, Jackson appears to get confused about where he is on the field, turns around to evade a Chiefs DB, and then gets the ball poked out by the same DB he was trying to avoid. Jackson should have scored on that play but even if he just gets tackled and doesn’t fumble, the Raiders are in the red zone and in prime scoring position.
That was Jackson’s sole target and sole reception of the game and it was the turning point in the game. The Chiefs would go on to score 17 unanswered points after that turnover and it appeared to take all the fight out of the Raiders on all sides of the ball.
Jackson will surely get more chances to prove his worth to the team and his presence had a positive impact on the offense but that moment was so deflating for a team that has already been through so much this year. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back and the Raiders are back to square one as they face a brutal week coming up that could define their season.