Brandon Aiyuk made one of the best catches of the 2023-24 NFL season on Sunday in the NFC championship game when he dove over Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor to complete a 51-yard grab.
Still, the 49ers receiver doesn’t feel like his catch is getting the recognition it deserves.
His case in point? The Monday package of SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays.
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Aiyuk noted in a social media video that his catch off Vildor’s helmet checked in at just No. 2 overall on SportsCenter’s list. He made it clear that he wasn’t happy with that ranking.
“Who the hell they have at 1 there?” he said in his Instagram story. “Lemme see this s—.”
Aiyuk kept the camera on for the No. 1 play, which was revealed to be Lamar Jackson’s self-pass in the Ravens’ loss to the Chiefs. That left Aiyuk angry, as all he said was, “Man, get the f–‘” before the video cut out.
It’s easy to understand why Aiyuk was upset. While Jackson’s throw-and-catch was a rarity — no quarterback had completed a pass to himself in a championship game since Kurt Warner in 2008 — it resulted in just a 13-yard gain. Furthermore, the Ravens didn’t go on to score on the drive during which he completed the pass, and Baltimore also lost to Kansas City 17-10.
Lamar threw this at the 10 and caught it at the 17 😳
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/mZGuyakLrX
— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
That’s not to say that Jackson’s ability to make the catch was unimpressive; it just may not have been as impressive as Aiyuk’s catch, which was a bit more difficult and critical to the outcome of the game.
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Aiyuk had to track the ball while effectively being the defender on the overthrown ball from Brock Purdy. Once it hit Vildor in the facemask, Aiyuk had to sprawl out to make the diving grab while parallel to the ground, which he managed to do for a gain of 51 yards.
DEFLECTION OFF THE FACE. WILD.
📺: #DETvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/C4jf3b3clo
— NFL (@NFL) January 29, 2024
Unlike Jackson’s play, Aiyuk’s catch helped to change the momentum of the game in which he was playing. It set up the first of three consecutive San Francisco touchdowns and allowed the 49ers to climb out of the 17-point hole they had dug themselves against the Lions.
Perhaps ESPN was merely rewarding Jackson because of the rarity of the play, or maybe they felt like putting the Aiyuk play at No. 2 was appropriate, as Vildor’s poor effort catching the ball himself played a large part in Aiyuk’s grab.
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That might make the Aiyuk catch a better fit for No. 1 overall in SportsCenter’s NOT Top 10 plays, a segment that typically runs on Fridays and encapsulates the lowlights of the week.
Even so, there’s no denying that Aiyuk put forth an excellent effort in making that catch, and his ability to reel in that ball is one of the major reasons that the 49ers, not the Lions, are heading to the Super Bowl.