Will McDonald’s ‘legendary’ play deserved a better Jets ending

TAMPA, Fla. — On Sunday afternoon, within minutes of each other, two NFL players blocked field goal attempts, scooped up the ball and raced the other way for touchdowns. 

When you’re Jordan Davis of the defending-champion Eagles, your heroics on the final play of the game turn an almost certain defeat to the Rams into a 33-26 victory. 

When you’re Will McDonald IV and you suit up for the Jets, a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010, when you were 11 years old, there’s still 1:49 left on the clock after your 50-yard return of your own blocked field goal. 

Almost inevitably, Baker Mayfield would use that time to set up former Jets kicker Chase McLaughlin for a 36-yard field goal that gave the 3-0 Buccaneers a 29-27 victory over the 0-3 Jets at Raymond James Stadium. 

Out of the two-minute warning with the Bucs leading 26-20, McLaughlin put his foot into a 43-yard attempt that barely got airborne.

McDonald leapt between the long snapper and right guard and got all ball, batting it in the completely opposite direction.

He picked up the ball at midfield on the top edge of the Buccaneers pirate helmet logo and didn’t stop until the end zone. 

“I feel like it was kind of a legendary play for me, probably the best play I’ve ever made in my NFL career,” McDonald said, without a hint of boastfulness. “You know, at the end of the day I still helped out and I was still able to get my team in a good position to win. I feel like I could have done a little bit more in the game to get our team in a better position, but obviously we see the outcome.” 

This was the first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown for the Jets since Ray Mickens accomplished the feat in 1997 on a 72-yard dash in Week 4 vs. the Raiders. 

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“I made sure I went over once we got into the locker room to just tell [McDonald] how much it means to the team, to me,” Jets receiver Garrett Wilson said. “That is a pure will play. When I say will, I mean, like, actual willpower, like I am going to make this play.” 

It was something McDonald saw coming, as he told the Jets coaching staff he thought he could block kicks either coming off the edge or up the middle, and the team worked on different looks in practice.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, he came within inches of altering a McLaughlin 55-yarder. He was called for running into the kicker but the penalty was declined. 

“I felt like I was getting closer and closer on each one that I had,” McDonald said. 

Breece Hall played with McDonald at Iowa State and said the big play was not a surprise to him. 

“A great play by a really great, ascending player. I was happy he made that play to put us in a position to win the game,” Hall told The Post. “I know he’s going to be sad we lost, but there’s not much more he probably could have done.” 

Wilson agreed that McDonald deserved a better ending for his signature NFL moment. 

“At some point, when people make plays like that, we are going to finish this and celebrate the right way because that was a hell of a play.”