ATL Standard

When Falcons linebacker Troy Andersen intercepted a pass in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints, his teammate Grady Jarrett had immediate confidence in his speed. "Ain't nobody catching Troy, that boy can run," remarked Jarrett after Atlanta's 26-24 victory.

Jarrett's prediction was accurate as Andersen scored his first career pick-six. This performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors, as announced by the NFL on Wednesday.

In the game against the Saints, Andersen achieved a career-high of 16 tackles, including nine solo efforts, a pass breakup, and a tackle for loss. His interception gave Atlanta a lead of 17-14 midway through the second quarter. On a day when Atlanta's offense struggled to score touchdowns, Andersen's defensive play was crucial.

Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake recalled thinking about player recovery during Andersen's 47-yard touchdown run: "Get the guys oxygen. Get them water. Get them Gatorade. We're back up."

Andersen continued to perform well throughout the game, tackling running back Alvin Kamara for a loss on third down. Despite Kamara leading the league in yards from scrimmage this season, Andersen effectively contained him to an average of 4.6 yards per touch.

In his three-season career spanning 23 games, Andersen has accumulated 132 tackles, five tackles for loss, two pass breakups, four quarterback hits, and one forced fumble — along with his recent interception and touchdown.

This marks the second time this season that a Falcons defender has been honored; Jessie Bates III received similar recognition after Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It is Andersen's first time receiving this accolade.

Despite leaving Atlanta's win due to a knee injury, head coach Raheem Morris described Andersen's status as "day-to-day." When healthy, he remains an essential part of the defense with potential for further impact.

"Troy's playing at a really high level," said Lake. "He studies his tail off... He's obviously extremely talented... We're able to do a lot of different things with him."

"And that game-change-of-play that he made is going to be one of many that he's going to make here."