PICKED OFF!
First career INT for @taeetaylor 🙌@Vol_Football | 📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/AxemC1PcqI
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 31, 2023
Now this is a great way to bounce back. Second-year New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor was benched last week after struggling to keep up with the high-powered Los Angeles Rams receiving corps, but he worked hard in practice and returned to the starting lineup for Sunday’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And he responded by snagging the first interception of his career. It’s as impressive a play as you’ll see all week. Taylor kept pace with Buccaneers receiver Trey Palmer deep downfield and correctly read the ball’s path to leap the route and take it away in midair, frustrating Baker Mayfield; the Tampa Bay quarterback had been intercepted just 8 times on his first 322 pass attempts through 15 games this season.
He was quickly surrounded by teammates who celebrated his big takeaway, knowing just how important it was to the young player given his struggles this season after converting to a new position.