A Pennsylvania woman — whose moment of despair was caught on camera during Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals perfectly captured the frustration of Eagles fans everywhere — is speaking out after taking the internet by storm conquered.
“It's just strange. I still don’t really believe that’s happening,” Jasmine Jones told NBC10 on Tuesday. “I’m just a mom who likes the Eagles.”
Jones, a former teacher who lives in northeastern Pennsylvania, took her three sons and her cousin to the Eagles' game against the Cardinals on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field as part of a Christmas gift and family tradition.
“I've been a fan my whole life and this was just our annual game,” Jones said.
Despite the Birds' recent struggles, many Eagles fans expected the New Year's Eve game against the Cardinals – one of the worst teams in the NFL – to be an easy win. It turned out to be anything but, as the Birds blew a 15-point lead and ultimately lost to the Cardinals 35-31, their fourth loss in their last five games.
The frustration among Eagles fans was palpable even before the loss. With the game tied 28-28 with just over three minutes left and the Eagles having the ball on 1st-and-20, quarterback Jalen Hurts ran the ball twice. It was at that moment that the camera caught Jones in the stands screaming, “What the fuck are you doing?!”
“Draw game. I think there are about four minutes left. And it's 1st and 20 and Jalen runs the ball on 1st and 20. Not what I would have done,” Jones said.
Seemingly within minutes, Jones' moment of anger morphed into an internet meme that embodied the confusion and anger Eagles fans have felt in recent weeks.
“Right after we kicked the field goal, my phone started blowing up,” Jones said.
From news and sports to merchandise, Jones' caught-on-camera moment has appeared everywhere.
“My son came running into the room. He's like, 'Mom, Mom, oh my God!' And he's like, 'I just saw you on YouTube!'” Jones said.
Jones told NBC10 that her son had a similar reaction to her when the Eagles were running on 1st and 20.
“He was crying at that moment too because he was just wondering, ‘What’s going on? Why are we doing this?'” Jones said.
With the playoffs set to begin in a few weeks, Jones — who loves everything from the Eagles to her son's T-ball games — remains confident that the Birds can still make it to the Super Bowl, especially if they follow their advice.
“Hopefully Nick learns this and figures it out,” she said. “I don’t know it as well as others, but I know that in a tied game you shouldn’t be running on 1st and 20 with four minutes left.”