The 10 Most Impactful Plays of Week 3
3. Deion Jones’ Superdome Homecoming
Win Probability Added: +19.48
NEP: +11.73
One of the big storylines in Monday night’s contest between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons was the fact that Falcons rookie middle linebacker Deion Jones was a New Orleans native. His family (like many others 11 years ago) evacuated the city ahead of Hurricane Katrina and relocated twice before finally returning home and joining in the rebirth of the city.
Jones was just 11 years old when he saw Saints hero Steve Gleason block that now-legendary punt in the Saints’ first home game back in the Big Easy, but he himself had never set foot in the Superdome.
That is, until he dominated his duel with perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees, appearing everywhere in coverage and on tackles. His biggest play of the night, though, came in the fourth quarter as he all but sealed the victory for Atlanta. With their backs on the goal line, the Falcons prepared to limit the lethal Brees’ possibilities for scoring from a mere 11 yards out.
On a short crossing route to wide receiver Brandon Coleman, cornerback Brian Poole tipped the ball into the air, where it seemed to hang for Jones to snag it and run it back 90 yards for a touchdown. Talk about “Home Sweet Dome.”
