Maye laughs off jokes over falling short of TD on INT
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Marcus Maye is in the NFL record books for one of the best plays of his football career — and easily the most embarrassing.
The Jets safety has been a staple of the highlight (and blooper) reels this week for his 104-yard interception return on the final play of New York’s 34-16 victory over Denver last Sunday . Maye picked off Case Keenum’s pass in the end zone and took off, making a few cuts and then chugging his way to the other end of the field.
But something funny happened on his way to a game-ending touchdown: He was caught and tackled. At the 1-yard line.
It’s the longest interception return without a player scoring in NFL history.
“I’ve seen it a bunch,” a smiling Maye said Thursday, “and I laugh every time I see it.”
He has taken plenty of ribbing about it, too, from his teammates and coaches.
“It looked like it was in slow motion,” coach Todd Bowles quipped.
“Usually in practice, we pitch the ball to each other to go score if we get tired,” safety Jamal Adams said, “and Marcus Maye did not pitch the ball!”
Maye was playing in his second game of the season after missing the bulk of training camp and the preseason while dealing with ankle and foot injuries. The second-year safety had offseason ankle surgery and is still rounding into shape. He has been limited this week at practice.
So, it’s no wonder he started running out of gas by the time he reached midfield.
“I feel like once I got across the 50 and back to our sideline, all train of thought went out the window,” he said. “I was so tired.”
On the play, Keenum’s pass to Courtland Sutton was deflected by Morris Claiborne and fell into the hands of Maye, who turned around, scooted out of the end zone and took off down the right sideline. He avoided a diving Keenum and then made a cut to avoid two would-be tacklers and headed across the field to the left sideline with a pack of teammates blocking for him.
“I didn’t even see 14 (Sutton) back there,” Maye said. “All I saw was the O-lineman. Once I hit the ground, I was like, ‘Oh, well.’“