Defense propels Saints back into playoffs
NEW ORLEANS — Whether it was the weirdest interception of Marshon Lattimore’s football life or a ball-dislodging hit by Tyeler Davison near the goal line, the Saints’ defense poetically tipped the scales in a long-awaited playoff-clinching victory.
Shoddy defense was widely seen as the reason the Saints missed the playoffs the last three seasons. Those days are over. Lattimore corralled a momentum-turning interception off his backside, New Orleans made two defensive stands from inside its 2-yard line, and the Saints clinched a playoff berth with a 23-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Ted Ginn caught a 54-yard pass for a touchdown, which came a few plays after Lattimore’s interception and shortly before halftime. Mark Ingram used a sharp cutback to break loose for a 26-yard touchdown for New Orleans, which kept its tenuous hold on first place in the NFC South heading into the final week of the season.
Lattimore, drafted 11th overall out of Ohio State, said he’d never had a more unusual interception at any level of football. With the Saints up 6-0, Lattimore was beaten on the play and launched into a desperate dive as Ryan’s high pass deflected off the hands of receiver Marvin Hall and fell on Lattimore as he lay face down.
He curled his leg up on the ball to try to prevent it from touching the ground, then reached back with his right hand to swipe it from players from both teams who grasped at it.
“I felt the ball on the back of my leg. I knew it didn’t touch the ground because everybody was trying to fight for it,” Lattimore said. “I just went back and reached for it and got it.”