The 2024 NFL season started with a bang.
Well, more accurately, it started with some ticky-tack illegal formation penalties. But it picked up from there. The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs overcame an early deficit to build a 10-point fourth quarter lead. But Lamar Jackson led his Baltimore Ravens back, setting up first-and-goal at the Chiefs’ 10-yard line with 18 seconds left in a 27-20 game.
Jackson’s first two passes crashed out of the end zone for incompletions. But his third, with zeroes showing on the clock, appeared to hit a covered Isaiah Likely to set up a potential game-winning two-point conversion. The back judge signaled touchdown and head coach John Harbaugh relayed his do-or-die play from the sideline.
Except Baltimore never got to run that play thanks to a fraction of an inch.
Likely was ruled out of bounds by less than a toe’s length. And while fans across the internet were stunned by a thrilling finish, several more drew an immediate parallel to the 2022 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, where Kevin Durant’s potential series-winning three-pointer was ruled a two, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to escape with a win in overtime.
Of course, that meant folks getting off jokes on Twitter. But none of these Durant references hit harder than the one from the team who escaped his long two and went on to win its first NBA championship in 50 years as a result:
Others quickly followed.
