KhaDarel Hodge’s second profession landing was definitely worth the wait

KhaDarel Hodge’s first profession NFL landing got here halfway via the 2022 season. It was his first 12 months with the Atlanta Falcons — his fifth 12 months within the league — and in a November sport in opposition to the Carolina Panthers, Hodge caught a vertical route from Marcus Mariota late within the fourth quarter for his first NFL TD. It was a sport the Falcons misplaced by a remaining rating of 22-15.

He needed to wait virtually two calendar years to succeed in the tip zone once more, however what he did on Thursday night time will stay in Falcons’ lore ceaselessly.

Hodge caught a pair of passes on Thursday night time from Kirk Cousins, his first two receptions of the 2024 season, however it was his second that may stay ceaselessly. After the Falcons pressured extra time in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a discipline purpose from Younghoe Koo, Atlanta opened extra time with possession and an opportunity to win the sport.

After Atlanta picked up a primary down on a connection between Cousins and Drake London, the receiver left the sport attributable to an damage. When play resumed Hodge was within the lineup, and Cousins appeared in his course, throwing to the receiver on a fast hitch route.

That’s when this occurred:

Cornerback Zyon McCollum tries in useless to make a play on the soccer, which permits Hodge to shrug off the preliminary contact and race upfield. From there he splits the Tampa Bay protection — choosing up a key block from Ray-Ray McCloud — and outruns the Buccaneers to the tip zone, and the game-winning rating.

The play touched off unbelievable scenes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Hodge being lifted up by his teammates in celebration:

He then tried to place the second into phrases, speaking about how he was “nonetheless soaking it in” after the sport:

Moments later Hodge admitted that he was “attempting to carry again tears” in one other video:

This angle of the game-winning landing, shared by the NFL on social media, affords an excellent view of the receiver accelerating away from Tampa Bay’s protection, and into the tip zone:

Talking after the sport Cousins talked about how the play design, and Hodge’s route specifically, will not be very best when working in opposition to man protection, because the Buccaneers have been on the ultimate play. However the quarterback gave all of the credit score to Hodge, calling it a “particular” play and the receiver a “particular participant:”

It took the veteran receiver virtually two years to succeed in the tip zone once more. However given the scenes in Atlanta Thursday night time, it might need been definitely worth the wait.