The Las Vegas Raiders have been involved in no shortage of iconic NFL plays, both on the winning and losing end. This includes good plays like The Holy Roller, Ghost to the Post, and Sea of Hands and disappointments like The Tuck Rule Play and The Immaculate Reception.
While all of these have lived in the lore of the league and the Silver and Black for decades, both famously and infamously, none of the aforementioned five plays are the weirdest ones in the franchise's history.
That title belongs to a play that occurred in a mundane Week 15 matchup with the New England Patriots at the end of the 2022 NFL season. The two key players involved in the play, Jakobi Meyers and Chandler Jones, have their share of weirdness now surrounding them as well.
Remembering Raiders' bizarre win against Patriots, and where the players involved are now
With the game all knotted up at 24 and just three seconds remaining, the Patriots had roughly 60 yards to go for a score. Instead of chucking a Hail Mary down the field, they instead opted for a hook and ladder play, which involves constant laterals to move the ball downfield.
When then-Patriots wideout Jakobi Meyers got hold of the ball, he made one of the most peculiar decisions that Raider Nation has seen in an NFL game. He began running away from the end zone and threw the ball 15 yards backwards into the hands of Las Vegas defensive end Chandler Jones.
Jones stiff-armed the Patriots' quarterback and essentially walked into the end zone for the win. The Patriots could have easily gone out of bounds or been tackled and lived to fight another quarter in overtime. But instead, they made one of the weirdest decisions ever seen in an NFL game.
2 years ago 👇🏻
— AFL Godfather 👓🏴☠️🔥 (@NFLMAVERICK) December 18, 2024
"The Toss for a Loss" 12/18/2022
The Raiders beat the Patriots 30-24.
Then Patriot WR Jakobi Meyers lateraled the ball to former Patriot Chandler Jones which in turn trampled QB Mac Jones for the win.
It was another bizarre victory in Raider history. pic.twitter.com/efBPBzOhpU
Time has continued to make this play even more bizarre because this was the last hurrah for Jones before a series of epic meltdowns on social media that spurred his release from the team the following offseason.
RELATED: Chip Kelly said what every Raiders fan was thinking about Amari Cooper's retirement
There was obviously something serious going on with Jones at the time, but this play is now looked back upon as a small blip of success in what was otherwise a disastrous tenure with the Silver and Black.
As fate would have it, Meyers joined the Raiders just months after this play occurred, and he quickly waltzed into being a fan favorite. However, just within the last couple of weeks, many have begun to view him as a pariah because of his recent trade request.
Not only was this play weird in and of itself, but the two players involved have endured interesting fates with the Raiders in the time since it occurred. If the play had occurred in a more meaningful moment, perhaps it would feel more significant. But mostly, it just feels weird.