For five years, NFL fans have celebrated one moment as the league’s zenith of failure — an unforgettable play in which Mark Sanchez, scrambling for his life, ran smack-dab into the posterior of his own offensive lineman and lost the ball.
Devonta Freeman gave us Butt Fumble 2.0 for Christmas
What do Devonta Freeman and Mark Sanchez have in common?
On Sunday, Falcons tailback Devonta Freeman joined him atop that lofty peak.
Freeman took a second-and-goal carry from the Saints 1-yard line and ran directly into the backside of his center, Alex Mack. The impact was enough to jar the ball loose, and Atlanta left a trip into the deepest part of the red zone with zero points.
While the play wasn’t as gloriously inept as Sanchez’s failure — Freeman went down like a football player and not like a mannequin that had just been hit with a grenade — it’s a demoralizing blow for a Falcons team one win from earning a playoff spot. Though the Saints didn’t scoop the ball up and cap off one man’s failure with a touchdown return, Freeman’s fumble erased his team’s best scoring opportunity of the afternoon and a chance to turn a Drew Brees interception into meaningful points.
What this means for the Falcons: Atlanta got shut out in the first half against the Saints’ leveled-up defense, but Brees’ interception gave the Falcons a first-and-goal situation at the Saints 2-yard line. Freeman’s first carry pushed the ball to the 1. His second was the league’s second-best butt fumble. That pretty much sums up Sunday’s trip to New Orleans for Atlanta so far.
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