JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The play is called “Rebound,” and Mike Thomas always serves as “the scoop guy.” The Jacksonville Jaguars never actually run it during practice. David Garrard always fakes the deep throw and teammates act out the results.
It never turns out like this.
Thomas hauled in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Garrard that Houston cornerback Glover Quin batted into his hands on the final play in regulation, giving the Jaguars a 31-24 win over the Texans on Sunday.
“We definitely lucked out on that one,” running back Maurice Jones-Drew said. “Mike Thomas was in the right place at the right time.”
That might be the understatement of the year. Thomas, the team’s smallest player, made the biggest play of Jacksonville’s season.
“I think it was big for our confidence,” tight end Marcedes Lewis said. “We’re going to enjoy this.”
The game looked as if it was going to overtime, but Garrard heaved a pass toward the end zone with no time on the clock. Quin, who was burned all afternoon, tried to bat the ball to the ground. Instead, he knocked it right to the 5-foot-8 Thomas.
Thomas, who was trailing behind the pass and looking for a ricochet, caught it at the half-yard line and then stepped across the goal line for the winner.
“It was definitely a surprise,” Thomas said. “You don’t expect that kind of play to go the way it’s supposed to go. I was shocked and a little stunned.”
The Jaguars (5-4) went into a frenzy and even drew a celebration penalty that couldn’t be enforced. The Texans (4-5) trudged off the field in disbelief. It was Houston’s third consecutive loss, dropping them from the top of the AFC South to the bottom.
“It’s a crazy play,” said Houston’s Andre Johnson, who had nine catches for 146 yards and a touchdown. “I don’t think any of their guys jumped up to try to catch the ball. You think about it, you’re snake-bitten because you don’t see that happen too often. They made the play and we didn’t.”
The Texans tied it twice in the final 20 minutes. But the real craziness was saved for the final play.
“I’m assuming we’re all going to the ESPYs this summer, play of the year,” Jones-Drew said. “I told Mike to book my ticket.”
