The New Orleans Saints didn’t make the postseason, but they ended their 2023 campaign on a high note. They destroyed their NFC South rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, 48-17 to cap off a 9-8 season. However, all anyone can talk about from the game was how the closing moments went.
After Tyrann Mathieu intercepted a Logan Woodside pass with 1:32 remaining in the game, he returned the ball to the Falcons’ one-yard line. Normally, teams would kneel the ball out as the outcome was already decided. That is what Saints’ head coach Dennis Allen called for, but the players had other ideas.
After heading out onto the field, the play call was changed. Running back Jamaal Williams instead was handed the ball for a carry by Jamies Winston for a one-yard score, his first touchdown of the season.
NFL News & Rumors: Jameis Winston, Dennis Allen, Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints Updates
It was a decision that did not sit well with the Falcons. Their head coach, Arthur Smith, got into a heated exchange with Allen after the final whistle during what is normally a handshake between coaches. No handshake was made and Allen confirmed Smith’s outburst was because of the touchdown.
“That’s not who we are, that’s not how we operate,” Allen said. “We should’ve taken a knee.”
Allen said that Smith should be upset with how things went at the end of the game. While Smith claimed to not remember what he said to Allen during their exchange on the field, he spoke about it in his post-game press conference.
“They can do whatever they want; there’s no rules against it,” Smith said. “We didn’t stop them in the second half. They can do whatever they want. It is what it is. Hats off to them. They kicked our you-know-what in the second half, made us pay, took advantage of turnovers. That’s their prerogative.
“It’s also my prerogative to tell him how I feel. Whether people like that or not, oh well. Like I said, credit to them, they do whatever they want.”
That will be the last image of Smith as the Falcons’ head coach, as the team fired him late Sunday night, early Monday morning just after midnight. Atlanta went 7-10 in each of his three seasons as head coach.
NFL News & Rumors: Jameis Winston, Dennis Allen, Jamaal Williams, New Orleans Saints Updates
As for the Saints, Allen’s head coaching job looks to be safe, for now. He was put in a tough spot by his players, who overruled his decision to kneel the ball so that their teammate could get into the end zone.
Winston emphasized after the game that it was a team decision to let Williams attempt to score a touchdown. They agreed, once taking the field, that he would get the ball despite what the coaches had called for.
“We got an interception to the 1-yard line. If we would’ve scored, would it still have been disrespectful? When you return the ball to the 1-yard line, you have the opportunity. We had the opportunity and we just decided,” said Winston, who doesn’t regret changing the play call.
“Nope,” Winston said when asked if he had any regrets. “This is the thing: This is about the team. It’s not about regrets. It’s not about anything else. It’s about us as a team making a collective decision. But I do apologize to Dennis. … That was not his call.” (H/T ESPN)
It was certainly an interesting outcome, as the rivalry between the Saints and Falcons has an added layer to it now heading into the future.
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