Prayers Were Answered ... for a While

How the New Orleans’ improbable 75-yard touchdown play unfolded as time ran out in its game at Jacksonville:

* Trailing, 20-13, with six seconds left, Aaron Brooks takes the snap at the Saint 25, drops back and completes a pass to Donte’ Stallworth at midfield, near the right sideline. Stallworth breaks tackles by Deke Cooper, Fernando Bryant and Akin Ayodele and weaves his way to the Jaguar 33, near the center of the field.

* Seeing Michael Lewis running down the left sideline, Stallworth flips the ball overhanded to Lewis. It looked as though it could have been a forward pass, but referee Gerry Austin, who reviewed the play, upheld the call on the field, explaining that to be a forward pass, “it has to be definitely forward. A lateral and backward is a backward pass.”

* Lewis takes a couple of steps, but with the defense starting to swarm, he flips underhanded to Deuce McAllister.

* McAllister also takes a couple steps, but sees Jerome Pathon streaking down the middle of the field, so he stops and lobs to Pathon.

* Pathon catches the ball in stride, gets a block from Brooks, who was moving downfield after his throw, and goes untouched, diving into the end zone.

* After a replay of about two minutes, John Carney comes on for the point-after try. Carney, who had not missed a point-after try since 1999, misses wide right, giving the Jaguars a 20-19 victory and ending the Saints’ playoff hopes.

Associated Press