Getty Jack Jones, Raiders
If ever there was a way to sum up what the Raiders did to the Chargers on Thursday night in Las Vegas, cornerback Jack Jones nailed it better than anyone could have. The score was 63-21 and, frankly, it was not even that close. It was Jones who scored the final touchdown of the night, and that came at the opening of the fourth quarter. The Raiders could have scored more.
They forced five turnovers. They had eight different players score touchdowns. Their defense was impenetrable and even the special teams had a record-setting day—punter A.J. Cole recorded an 83-yard kick in the fourth quarter, a team record.
But leave it to Jack Jones to describe best what happened on Thursday, and he only needed four words to do it: “We was kicking a**,” he said at his locker after the game.
Jack Jones’ Interception Labeled ‘Coolest Ever’
Though the game was already well in hand, Jack Jones still managed to steal the Raiders’ show. His final score made history for the Raiders, running their point total to 63 and was called the “Can’t-Miss Play” at NFL.com. The Big Lead called it, “the coolest pick-six you will ever see.” Al Michaels called it, “unbelievable” on the national broadcast. And owner Mark Davis, well, his reaction to the crazy Jones pick-six early in the fourth quarter required no words.
After the play, the cameras panned to Davis, who simply had his hands over his eyes, and took them off, smiling as if to say he could not believe what he was seeing. And people noticed. On the NFL.com official Twitter/X account, the post went viral, gathering more than 750,000 views.
“This Pick-6! Even Mark Davis couldn’t believe it,” the NFL wrote.
This Pick-6! Even Mark Davis couldn’t believe it.
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According to Jack Jones, though, it almost did not happen. He read the play so well he nearly overran the pass.
“I will be honest, when I jumped it, in my head I was like, ‘Damn, I overran it.’ I reached back and that sh** stuck. I was like, ‘Oooh, yeah!’ For real, though,” Jones said after the game.
Raiders DC Patrick Graham Gets Credit
In a season in which Davis’s reactions from the owner’s box have garnered repeated attention, Jack Jones finally gave Mark Davis a decidedly positive reaction in what was the best game the Raiders have played in recent memory. On Sunday in the disheartening 3-0 loss to Minnesota, Jones nearly had an interception that might have changed the course of the game, but could not quite squeeze it.
Even in a blowout, he was not going to miss this chance.
“Can’t let it get away this time,” Jones said. “Last week, I was maybe a step away. This week I had to fine-tune all of my techniques I had to do to make that play. That’s cool, but I want to win, winning feels better.”
Jones, who came to the Raiders when he was cut by the Patriots a month ago, credited defensive coordinator Patrick Graham with the play. Indeed, it was a big night for Graham’s defense, which scored two touchdowns and forced five turnovers.
“First of all, I want to give it off to coach PG,” Jones said. “He made a great call and just from my personal feelings, I feel like the last two games, he has been calling great calls, you know, so I just give kudos to him. From what I seen as far as, you know, as a player, four-strong, running back on one, motion in to a bunch, you gotta go steal that because nine times outta 10, that’s a screen.”
It was a good call, and a great read for Jack Jones. Now all the Raiders need to do is keep that scoring barrage going through the final three weeks to have a shot at the AFC playoffs, slim though the odds may be.
“It’s just the start of it, man. We’re getting going. We putting our foot in the door and we gonna make some noise,” he said.