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Jets’ ‘butt fumble’ a painful Thanksgiving memory

Related Topics: Fumble, Lex Hilliard

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Every Thanksgiving Day, some Jets fans think about the “butt fumble.” It’s one of the more infamous plays in franchise history, maybe NFL history. And it reached the five-year anniversary mark this Thanksgiving Day.

A quick recap: On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 2012, the Jets trailed the Patriots 14-0 in the second quarter. Then quarterback Mark Sanchez took a snap and missed a handoff to fullback Lex Hilliard. Sanchez then tried to run the ball but ran into the backside of guard Brandon Moore and fumbled. The ball was scooped up by safety Stephen Gregory who scored on a 32-yard touchdown return for a 21-0 lead.