Jack Jones made arguably the biggest play of the day for the Raiders when he logged a pick-six against Patrick Mahomes in the second quarter of Las Vegas' 20-14 win on Christmas Day.
However, the Raiders cornerback found himself under scrutiny after a sequence during which he appeared to pretend to give the ball to a kid in the stands only to take it back.
Many on social media expressed outrage at the clip. However, Jones claimed there was more to the story than it initially appeared, and a second glance shows that he was, indeed, attempting to brighten a young fan's Christmas with a souvenir.
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Here's what to know about Jones' pick-six and his viral explanation of the play.
Jack Jones pick-6, explained
The Raiders had just scored a defensive touchdown when Jones and the Las Vegas defense returned to the field, eager to make another play. Jones delivered on that hope, jumping a pass intended for receiver Justin Watson and taking it back to the end zone for the Raiders' second defensive score in seven seconds.
The play was a strong one for Jones. He came screaming downhill as soon as he read that Watson would be running a short curl route, and that allowed him to beat Watson out of his break. From there, Jones made the catch, had a clear path to the end zone and was able to score.
JACK JONES. PICK 6!!!!!#LVvsKC | 📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/bbgBQLORn6
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 25, 2023
However, Jones' actions after the play were scrutinized on social media. It originally appeared that the second-year cornerback had reached the ball out to a kid in the stands only to pull it back at the end of the highlight play.
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So, what happened there? Well, as Jones explained on X (formerly Twitter), he was trying to get the ball to the young fan, but a man sitting next to the child reached over to try to get the ball. That was why he pulled back.
I didn’t snatch that ball from the kid it was from that blac dude who tried to take it watch it again lollipop https://t.co/SNkD0lk08d
— Jack Jones🏄🏽♂️ (@presidentjacc) December 26, 2023
Indeed, a closer inspection reveals that a rogue arm was coming in over the child's right shoulder. So, it appears that Jones was still in the spirit of giving; he was just making sure the gift made it to its intended recipient.
That Jones' actions were misinterpreted isn't a big surprise. The camera cut away just as that scene was unfolding, so that left many to wonder what they had witnessed as a part of the play.
In the end, it appears that Jones is no Grinch when it comes to giving gifts to young fans.
But when it comes to ruining the Chiefs' Christmas Day game? Jones revealed that he relished his Grinchy role as a spoiler with an epic photoshop.
