End zone pick gets Falcons by Saints
Deion Jones made a leaping interception in the end zone with 1:25 remaining and the Falcons held on for a crucial 20-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints last night in Atlanta, setting up a three-way race for the NFC South title.
Matt Ryan shook off three interceptions to guide the Falcons to Matt Bryant’s 52-yard field goal with 3:49 to go, snapping a 17-17 tie.
The Saints (9-4) were in position to pull out the victory, driving to the Atlanta 11 after Drew Brees converted on fourth-and-1 with a quarterback sneak. On second down, Brees attempted to hit tight end Josh Hill in the back of the end zone. Jones had other ideas. He leaped high to make the pick, landing flat on this back but holding on.
The Falcons (8-5) climbed within one game of the division-leading Saints with three weeks to go.
Atlanta is back in the race and gets another crack at New Orleans when the teams meet in the nextto-last week of the regular season at the Superdome.
The Carolina Panthers (8-4) are also right in the thick of things, and they host streaking Minnesota (9-2) on Sunday.
Shazier has surgery
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier underwent surgery on Wednesday night to stabilize his spine, the team announced. The surgery was performed after Shazier was transferred from a hospital in Cincinnati to one in Pittsburgh.
The 25-year-old Shazier suffered the injury while hitting Cincinnati’s Josh Malone in the first quarter of Pittsburgh’s 23-20 victory over the Bengals on Monday night. Shazier motioned to his lower back immediately following the hit and was taken off the field on a stretcher. He did not return.
The team offered no additional update on Shazier.
Browns shuffle GMs
John Dorsey turned the Kansas City Chiefs back into winners. His new project is more daunting.
The Cleveland Browns hired Dorsey to be their new general manager and fix a team that has won just one game over the past two seasons and remains in a perpetual search for a franchise quarterback.
Owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam wasted no time in landing Dorsey, who was brought in hours after the team fired vice president of football operations Sashi Brown after less than two seasons. Brown was able to acquire future assets during his tenure, but he missed on quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Jared Goff in the draft, as the Browns went just 1-27 under his watch.
The Haslams also said coach Hue Jackson will return despite winning just one game in two seasons.
Dorsey was fired by the Chiefs in June, ending a successful four-year run. While Kansas City’s GM, the club went 43-21 and advanced to the postseason three times. After starting 1-5 in 2015, the Chiefs went 12-4 the following year and won the AFC West.
Bills’ QB Taylor iffy
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott still isn’t ready to name his starter against Indianapolis after quarterback Tyrod Taylor had limited mobility in his bruised left knee upon returning to practice.
McDermott said Taylor was day to day and held to taking part in individual drills in his first practice since being hurt in a 23-3 loss to the Patriots on Sunday. Taylor bruised his tendon while being sacked on the game’s first play.
McDermott said rookie Nathan Peterman would start against the Colts if Taylor can’t play . . . .
Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase said No. 2 quarterback Matt Moore will be unavailable for at least one more game because of a foot injury. David Fales will back up Jay Cutler on Monday night against the Patriots. Moore was hurt at the Patriots on Nov. 26.
Men of the year
Houston’s J.J. Watt, Philadelphia’s Malcolm Jenkins, Carolina’s Greg Olsen and Kansas City’s Alex Smith are among the 32 nominees for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award given by the NFL. Left tackle Nate Solder is the Patriots’ nominee. The award honors a player’s work away from the game and his demeanor during play.