Patriots players come to Jakobi Meyers’ defense after loss

Various reactions have been shared when discussing the final moments of the Patriots game on Sunday, most of which have placed all blame on Jakobi Meyers for the ensuing disaster. Although the entirety of the last play could be criticized, and not just Meyers for his involvement, several Patriots players came to the receiver’s defense when speaking to reporters after the game.

When the media was finally allowed into the locker room, Meyers was visibly upset but answered every question asked of him. He took full responsibility for the play falling apart and made no excuses for how it happened.

Clearly, there was a miscommunication regarding what the offense was supposed to do to end the game, and the players involved in the last play made unthinkable mistakes that won’t be easily forgotten. The good part for Meyers is he’s developed deep relationships with his teammates, who admire and respect him for who he is and were quick to defend him during a vulnerable time.

Long-time Patriots captain Matthew Slater commented on the play that led to the loss and made it clear that he didn’t view Meyers any differently or blame him for what transpired.

"“It’s not his fault. It’s not his fault. We wouldn’t be in the game without him. One of the most dependable, smartest, toughest football players on this team. We’ll go down with him 10 out of 10 times.It’s unfortunate. Look, our guys are trying to make a play to win the game. There’s nobody we trust more on the team than Jakobi and Rhamondre. We live with the decisions they make. Got no problem with it.”"

Hunter Henry repeated much of what Slater said, noting the blame could be passed around the entire offense, including himself.

"“It’s not all on him, man. We all … We just can’t keep having (mistakes) … I had a few, other guys had a few. We just gotta step up, man. It’s not on him at all. It should’ve never come down to that. It sucks. This one hurts. But it’s not all on him. We gotta make plays earlier.”"

The one player who had the most to say was Mac Jones, who has openly shared his admiration for Meyers in the past and referred to him as one of the best teammates he’s ever had.

"“Jakobi is one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. He’s a fighter…at the end of the day the guy is out there fighting, he’s trying to win the game.”"

The media and Patriots fans are still ripping the team apart for the game’s final play. It was a disaster. It was unthinkable. It will likely be remembered similarly to the butt fumble, which is obviously not a good thing. But at the end of the day, these men are human beings who make mistakes, just as the rest of us do.

The season has been a complete whirlwind, and the pressure must be daunting to most of the players. Meyers quickly took responsibility for his part in the final play, even though the first lateral pass was not made by him but by Rhamondre Stevenson, and that should be the end of the conversation.

Regardless of all the outside noise, it’s good to see the team stand by their teammate through a challenging situation. Hopefully, that will continue through the next three games and they won’t allow the heartbreaking ending in Las Vegas to deter them from finishing the season strong and together.