For a moment, it appeared as though the Las Vegas Raiders were about to hand the winless New York Jets their first victory of the 2020 NFL season in Week 13.
With only 13 seconds left on the clock, quarterback Derek Carr somehow found rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III for a 46-yard bomb to complete the comeback. Not only did they manage to avoid another epic collapse, but their chances at a playoff berth remain well within reach.
As fast as Ruggs is, it seems far-fetched that any secondary would not take the proper precautions near the end of the game. Then again, there is a reason New York is still looking for its first win.
Ruggs was admittedly surprised to see the Jets defense call a blitz while leaving him one-on-one on the outside, via Levi Edwards of the team’s official website:
“We were down to the wire, and we knew that we needed a play,” said Henry Ruggs. “Coach (Gruden) dialed up the double move, and once I’m coming off the ball I kind of see that it’s there, and I got the DB to flip his hips.”
“Was kind of surprised that they brought the house like that and not drop back everybody back, but you know that defenders are going to play soft and keep people in front of them. Once I gave them the inside move to make it seem like it was an inside route, he flipped his hips and from there I just had to use my speed to make a play.”
Carr shared some high praise for Ruggs as well as general manager Mike Mayock, who drafted him in the first round:
“One thing I love about [Ruggs] is he’s someone that if he gets punched in the mouth, he stands back up and goes again,” Carr added. “He gets punched in the mouth and he stands back up and give you everything he’s got again, he gave us all 4.2 (40 yard dash speed) of it on that last play because I threw it as high as I could and just prayed that he would run under it.
“I thank Mr. Mayock for drafting that man because I don’t know how many guys would’ve went and got that football.”
It was the game-changing speed that spurred Mayock and Gruden to take Ruggs as the first wideout off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft. His skill set has now helped keep them in the playoff picture for another week.
As good as Ruggs was, tight end Darren Waller was the star of the show after hauling in 13 receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns. These two dynamic weapons helped Carr out the finishing touches on a spectacular afternoon with 381 passing yards and four total touchdowns.