The New Orleans Saints were short-handed at linebacker during Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, with starters Kiko Alonso and A.J. Klein sidelined by injuries. The team re-signed former starter Manti Te’o earlier in the week but went with backups Craig Robertson and Stephone Anthony to start the game.
As luck would have it, Robertson ended up being in the right place at the right time to snag an interception early in the second half. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo targeted wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders but the pass deflected off of Sanders’ hands and into Robertson’s waiting mitts, granting the Saints a lucky turnover.
It’s just a shame they weren’t able to make the most of it. Despite some protests from Saints quarterback Drew Brees, head coach Sean Payton trusted kicker Wil Lutz to make a 55-yard field goal and retake the lead. You can find Robertson’s big play in the video embedded in this post:
Unfortunately, the 49ers defense created its own turnover just a few minutes later. They forced and recovered a fumble out of Saints running back Alvin Kamara — the first fumble the Saints have committed all season — which set up a touchdown pass to tight end George Kittle. This game is still creating fireworks, and the Saints are still playing from behind in the third quarter, down 35-30 to San Francisco.
