Brandon Aiyuk has a candid reaction to Sportscenter's ranking of his catch from win over Lions
Brandon Aiyuk didn't appear to have liked what he saw, and he didn't pull any punches about it either. The San Francisco 49ers' star wideout filmed himself watching TV the morning after the team's 34-31 comeback victory over the Detroit Lions to claim the NFC title. He was tuned into ESPN's Sportscenter as its Top […]
Brandon Aiyuk didn't appear to have liked what he saw, and he didn't pull any punches about it either.
The San Francisco 49ers' star wideout filmed himself watching TV the morning after the team's 34-31 comeback victory over the Detroit Lions to claim the NFC title. He was tuned into ESPN's Sportscenter as its Top 10 plays were rolling. When his catch came in at #2, he wasn't too thrilled about it.
"Number two? Who the hell do they have at one then," Aiyuk quipped. "Let me see this sh*t." The video cuts out before he can finish with another colorful metaphor regarding Lamar Jackson's throw and catch earning the top spot.
In his defense, Aiyuk probably was robbed for the top play of the day for multiple reasons. Aiyuk's catch was probably a higher level of difficulty considering what happened. The ball was just past him and ended up coming back towards him in an incredibly unlikely fashion after the ball bounced off the facemask of Lions defender Kindle Vildor. Even then, Aiyuk still had to have the presence of mind and coordination to grab the ball on the rebound and pull it down.
Conversely, although it was still an impressive heads-up play, Jackson's tipped pass hung up in the air for multiple seconds, which gave him the chance to find it and chase it down like an outfielder.
The circumstances also turned out to be very different. Aiyuk's catch for 51 yards was the biggest spark that ignited the 49ers comeback from 17 points down. Aiyuk scored on a six-yard touchdown grab three plays later, and the Niners had permanently seized the game's momentum on the way to a win. Meanwhile, Jackson's 13-yard catch and run, while momentarily exciting, fell by the wayside when the Ravens punted four plays later on the way to a 17-10 loss.
Regardless, there's another top spot up for grabs on February 11 in Las Vegas that Aiyuk is certainly a lot more concerned with now.
49ers’ Brock Purdy runs away from the ‘heat’ and to the Super Bowl
He made the difference in unexpected fashion.
