On Sunday, the players of the New Orleans Saints went berserk with a play call in the final seconds of 48-17 winning against the Atlanta Falcons.
Dennis Allen, coach of the New Orleans Saints, and Pete Carmichael, the offensive coordinator, planned to kneel and run out the final 1:13. Tyrann Mathieu ran back to intercept the Falcon’s one-yard line.
James Winston, the backup quarterback, was sent to nail the final snap in the victory, but the team made Jamaal Willaims run for a one-yard score.
Arthur Smith, Falcons coach, furiously talked to Allen after the game ended and shouted at the coach. Allen was seen calming down Smith, but he walked away and started to yell at something else.
No Handshakes between the coaches
Allen verified that the postgame handshake between the two coaches was over the late touchdown. The two coaches did not shake hands.
Allen apologized to Smith and the Falcons at the beginning of his postgame press conference. According to him, the coaches had no intention of attempting to score; the players made the decision.
There are no regulations prohibiting them from doing as they choose. Smith said they did not stop them in the second half. What they want to do is up to them. That’s just the way things are. Bravo to them. In the second half, they made them pay, took advantage of fumbles, and generally kicked our ass. That’s within their right.
He said he has all the right to express his feelings, even if people do not like them. He mentioned to give them the credit as they liked.
The Targeted Players
Jimmy Graham, the tight end, or Williams were the targets of several Saints players. Williams’ teammates tried to talk Allen into giving him a shot, as he hadn’t scored in the whole season. But Allen rejected the notion, stating that he would have rather taken a knee.
After they announced the victory formation, players were attempting to score a touchdown. It’s terrible that they did that on their own. Allen said he was not sure, honestly, what was going on there other than the fact that they wanted him to score a touchdown.
Winston said an interception was made to the 1-yard line. Would it still have been insulting if they had won? You have the chance when you get the ball back to the 1-yard line. They just made a decision when they got the chance.
Derek Carr was not on the playfield
Although he wasn’t on the field when the play occurred, Saints starting quarterback Derek Carr expressed his happiness for Williams. He knew that they declared victory but was clueless about what transpired thereafter.
He said he could see someone’s annoyance but recognized that’s not what DA or Pete called for. They’ll work that out or something. Winston claimed that once they went onto the pitch, he asked others what they wanted to do.
They were all in agreement that Williams should have an opportunity to score. Winston added that he informed Allen of this after the fact, emphasizing that it was a team decision.
Questions by Falcon Defensive Players
A Saints player stated that when some Falcons defensive players inquired about their intention to take a knee, they remained silent. When it came time to make a decision, Williams stated that all the players were adamant about getting him a touchdown.
They truly are wonderful folks, and he values their comprehension, awareness, and perspective of the events occurring in the game, as well as their acceptance of the potential outcomes. He is grateful to his teammates for supporting me and wanted to give me a touchdown as a token of their affection.
Not because he scored and received a touchdown but rather because his teammates wanted to score on the final play of what may be their final game. That is why it meant so much to him. That in itself tells him a lot about the character of his colleagues.
