Falcons coach upset after Saints overrule coach's play, score late TD - ESPN

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Saints players went rogue with a play call in the final minutes of a 48-17 victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

Saints coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael intended to kneel and run out the final 1:13 after safety Tyrann Mathieu ran an interception back to the Falcons' 1-yard line. Backup quarterback Jameis Winston was sent in to take the final snap in victory formation, but the team instead ran Jamaal Williams up the middle for a 1-yard score.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith angrily approached Allen after the game and yelled at the Saints coach. Allen appeared to try to calm Smith down, but Smith walked away before turning around and yelling something else.

The two coaches did not exchange a postgame handshake, and Allen confirmed that the exchange was about the late touchdown.

Allen opened up his postgame news conference by apologizing to Smith and the Falcons. He said the players made the call and the coaches never intended to try to score.

«That's not who we are, that's not how we operate,» Allen said. «We should've taken a knee.»

When told that Smith appeared upset, Allen was quick to take his side.

«He should be,» Allen said. «He should be.»

Smith said after the game that he did not remember what he said to Allen.

«They can do whatever they want; there's no rules against it,» Smith said. «We didn't stop them in the second half. They can do whatever they want. It is what it is. Hats off to them. They kicked our you-know-what in the second half, made us pay, took advantage of turnovers. That's their prerogative.

»It's also my prerogative to tell him how I feel. Whether people like that or not, oh well. Like I said, credit to them, they do whatever they want."