Troy Andersen was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

However, Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake had a different opinion than many others as Andersen sprinted 47 yards for a touchdown. “Get the boys oxygen. Get them water. Get them Gatorade. We’re back on top,” he remembers thinking at that moment.

On the next drive, Andersen made sure they got off the field quickly. Andersen tackled running back Alvin Kamara in the backfield for a loss on third-and-short. Kamara is the NFL's all-time leader in yards from scrimmage this season, but Andersen has been effective in keeping him in check. The Saints star finished the game with 119 total yards and a score, but averaged just 4.6 yards per touch and never quite took over the lead.

In 23 games over three seasons, Andersen has totaled 132 tackles, five for a loss, two pass breakups, four quarterback hits, a forced fumble – and now – an interception and a touchdown.

This is the second time a Falcons defenseman has been recognized this season. Jessie Bates III earned his third Defensive Player of the Week award following the Week 2 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. This is the first time in his career that Andersen has received this recognition.

Andersen was forced to miss Atlanta's win because of a knee injury, and head coach Raheem Morris said Monday that the linebacker was on a “day-to-day” schedule. On the field, Andersen has been valuable to the defense, and the Falcons see the potential for the center back to continue to make a significant impact.

“Troy plays at a really high level. He studies what he wants. He does the work behind the scenes that no one sees,” Lake said. “He’s obviously extremely talented. He has great physical characteristics. He's fast, but really, really smart. We can do a lot of different things with him.”

“And that game-changing play change he made will be one of many he will make here.”