BY NICK ST. DENIS
New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson tried to take the blame for causing a timeout that negated a big game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers Sunday.
Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, however, took it back away Monday, as he should have.
"Look, Sheldon needs to take no accountability for that," Mornhinweg said, via NewYorkJets.com. "He was only trying to help. It's just that simple. I want to make sure everything that goes on offensively is my responsibility, and so I have to do a better job with the communication."
Prior to the snap, Mornhinweg was yelling to head coach Rex Ryan--the only person on the sideline eligible call a timeout--to, well, call a timeout.
Ryan apparently didn't hear Mornhinweg, and quarterback Geno Smith sorted out what Mornhinweg thought was the problem, so the assistant pulled back. However, Richardson, next to Ryan on the sidelines, yelled "timeout" to the ref. On the dead play, which both sides were fully participating on, Smith hit Jeremy Kerley on a 36-yard would-be touchdown bomb. It was called back.
The ref, of course, never should have blown the whistle. But he did, and ultimately, it never would've happened if there weren't communication issues on the Jets' sidelines. So ultimately, it falls on Mornhinweg's shoulders.
"It didn't count. It didn't count," Smith said. "That's all I can say about it."
