New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara, standouts from Week 8 vs. Vikings

3. CB Marshon Lattimore

A year ago, the 11th overall pick in the 2017 draft wound up earning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Former Ohio State standout Marshon Lattimore played in 13 games during his debut campaign and finished with 52 tackles, five interceptions and an impressive 18 passes defensed. All told, he had six of the New Orleans Saints’ 25 takeaways a season ago and was a big reasons the team’s defense made some big-time strides.

This season, Lattimore is still waiting to pick off his first pass. But on Sunday night at Minnesota, his nose for the football resulted in one of the big plays of the team’s 10-point win over the Vikings. The second-year pro finished with three tackles, two passes defensed and one huge fumble return.

Late in the second half and with his team down 13-10, the Saints were trying to hold off another Minnesota drive. Kirk Cousins completed a four-yard pass to wide receiver Adam Thielen, who was hit by linebacker Alex Anzalone and fumbled. Lattimore scooped up the ball and returned it 54 yards to the Vikings’ 33-yard line. It would eventually lead to an Alvin Kamara one-yard touchdown run and New Orleans took a 17-13 lead into the locker room at intermission.

It was a play that shifted the entire momentum of the game. And it was the second long fumble return of the year for the opportunistic former Buckeye.