However, Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake had a different thought than many as Andersen sprinted 47 yards for the touchdown. ‘Give the boys oxygen. Make sure they get water. Give them Gatorade. We’re back up there,” he remembers thinking at the time.

On the next drive, Andersen made sure they got off the field quickly. Andersen picked off running back Alvin Kamara in the backfield for a loss on third and short. Kamara leads the NFL this season by yards from scrimmage, but Andersen was able to effectively contain him. The Saints star finished with 119 yards and a score, but he averaged just 4.6 yards per touch and never fully took over.

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 touchdown.

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

Andersen left Atlanta’s win due to a knee injury, and head coach Raheem Morris said Monday that the linebacker is on a “day-to-day” timeline. On the field, Andersen has been valuable to the defense, and the Falcons see the potential for the inside linebacker to continue to make a significant impact.

“Troy plays at a very high level. He studies his tail off. He puts the work behind the scenes that no one sees,” Lake said. “He’s obviously extremely talented. He has great physical attributes. He’s fast, but very, very smart. We can do a lot of different things with him.”

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