It’s nearly impossible to run around an NFL field for two minutes without getting tackled — unless you’re a cat.
A black cat wandered onto the field during a Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game on Monday night in New Jersey, where the feline “scored” a touchdown and won the hearts of fans online and in the stadium.
The incident happened late in the first half of the game at MetLife Stadium in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The cat darted onto the field during a Giants play, forcing the referee to delay the game until the furry interloper could be corralled.
Stadium staff and New Jersey state troopers tried to apprehend the cat, but it proved too slippery to catch.
The cat was on the loose for over two minutes, much to the delight of fans, who cheered it on as it slowly made its way toward one of the end zones.
Television broadcasters joined in the fun with tongue-in-cheek play-by-play calls of the cat’s progress.
One clip featuring broadcaster Kevin Harlan calling the incident went viral, with more than 2.7 million views by Tuesday morning.
The cat scampered around the endzone while staff tried to trap it. It jumped up toward the stands at one point, then dashed along the edge of the field and disappeared into one of the tunnels.
The incident caused a stir on Twitter, where many applauded the cat’s elusive play — including a few feline fans.
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Twitter user Cindy Saucier posted a video on Monday night of her own black cats seemingly fascinated by the NFL cat on the broadcast.
MetLife Stadium provided an update on the incident on Twitter.
“The black cat ran off the field and disappeared under a seating section,” stadium staff wrote. “Once we locate and safely capture the cat, we will take it to a veterinarian for examination.”
The cat also proved to be good luck for the Cowboys, who came from behind to win the game after the incident. The Cowboys were down 3-9 when the cat appeared, but they ended up winning the game 37-18.
After the game, Cowboys player DeMarcus Lawrence hailed the cat for hexing the Giants with its bad luck.
“The first thing that crossed my mind was, no joke … they got bad luck now. It just turned on them,” Lawrence said.
“If a black cat runs on the damn field on a Monday night football game — a black cat — you might want to call it quits, bro. Y’all luck is terrible.”