Maye laughs about 140.7yard return — and no TD

FLORH A MP A RK , 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 104yard interception return on the final play of New York’s 3416 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 gameending touchdown: He was caught and tackled. At the 1yard 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 slowmotion,” 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 secondyear 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 wouldbe tacklers and headed across the field to the left sideline with a pack of teammates blocking for him.

Broncos right guard Connor McGovern then tried to get Maye, who easily shook the tackle attempt and then headed to the middle of the field as he set his sights on the end zone. But Sutton caught up to Maye and made a diving stop, leaving the Jets safety 1 yard shy of a touchdown.

“I didn’t even see 14 (Sutton) back there,” Maye said. “All I saw was the Olineman. Once I hit the ground, I was like, ‘Oh, well.’ ”

Maye laid facedown in the end zone as teammate Parry Nickerson patted him on the back.

“I’ve got to get into the end zone some way,” Maye said.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Maye ran a total of 140.7 yards on the return — the league’s thirdlongest play this season behind only Kansas City’s Tyreek Hill (140.9 on a 91yard punt return for a touchdown) and Detroit’s Jamal Agnew (142.1 on a 73yard punt return for a TD that was nullified by a penalty).