The New Orleans Saints had the game well in hand even before Tyrann Mathieu took an interception down to the 1-yard line.
But that's when things got weird, with head coach Dennis Allen calling for a kneeldown with the Saints leading 41-17. Instead the players went rogue and gave the ball to Jamaal Williams out of the victory formation for a touchdown, a decision that set off the Cajun Cannon Bobby Hebert.
"Jamaal Williams, listen, he didn’t deserve that damn touchdown at the end. Oh, we want to give him a touchdown," Hebert said. "Give him a touchdown for what? He averaged 1.9 yards a carry. He had 14 carries 26 yards. So we’re gonna give him a touchdown? I mean, he can go to Comic-Con, Pokemon, all that stuff. I mean, Jamaal Williams did not deserve a touchdown."
It was certainly a decision that did not sit well with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who berated Allen at midfield after the game ended. Allen opened his postgame press conference by apologizing to the opposing head coach and indicating that the players had gone off-script, saying it was unacceptable.
"I agree with Dennis Allen. Maybe I’m an old curmudgeon, old fart and maybe these young people, but no, you don’t go against your head coach. I could tell you that right now, that never would happen in the past," Hebert continued. "No, you’re kneeling down and you’re going to do the right thing, because you’ve got to be respectful to the game. That’s where as a coach or as a player, Dennis Allen said the right thing. Because when you look at Arthur Smith, he goes this is a bunch of BS. You’re damn right it is. You do not do that. That’s disrespectful to the game."
It's a topic that will certainly continue to be discussed, but it will have to be done in offseason mode. For the second time in three seasons the Saints finished 9-8, but missed out on the postseason due to tiebreakers. This time it was the Bucs winning the division at 9-8 with a win over the Panthers, and the Packers taking the final wild card spot with a win over the Bears.
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There will certainly be discussions surrounding the coaching staff, but also which players will return for a 2024 season that will most likely be led by Allen at the top for a third season.
"It doesn’t matter who you play, you’ve got to respect the game. You’ve got to respect the game and I don’t know, back in the day when the coach told you to kneel down, you kneel down," Hebert said. "You don’t go against the head coach. Now, you might say, well Dennis Allen, can he control that sideline or whatever’s happening. No, that’s not right."