'Take it home': Khalen Saunders reflects on interception against Patrick Mahomes
Kansas City, Mo. — New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders jokes that he's the least musically talented of his entire family. Her older brother Cameron is a dancer on tour with Taylor Swift, another brother is a minister of music at the AME Church in St. Louis, and several members of her family are involved in music in some way.
Saunders showed in a national broadcast Monday night that he's still got some action.
Saunders, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2019 to 2022, picked off his old teammate Patrick Mahomes in the end zone during the third quarter.
When a pass slipped from wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, Sanders scooped up the pass with one hand and raced out of the end zone before tripping up 36 yards.
“Oh man. Just trying to keep them out of the end zone,” Saunders said afterward. “[Dennis Allen]Always preach, protect every blade of grass. So that was just on my mind. … They say when you're close to the ball, good things happen. So trying to get around the ball and try to protect every blade we have.”
Saunders later had to get oxygen on the sidelines. According to the NFL's Next Gen stats, the 324-pound Saunders peaked at 15.79 miles per hour on returns, the third-fastest for a ball carrier of his size since 2016.
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 8, 2024
At 324 pounds, Khalen Saunders clocked 15.79 mph on his 36-yard interception, the third-fastest career speed for a 320-pounder since 2016.
increase the barrier @ Sadhu Win probability from 5.1% to 15.0% (+9.9%).
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— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 8, 2024
Saunders played running back in high school and went viral in 2019 after showing off his ability to backflip, and his college bio listed his hobbies as piano and tumbling. He was used on offense at times as a fullback for the Saints in goal line packages last year.
“Trying to take it home, take it home,” he said. “The back days were going through my head. I was like, it's 1-on-1 though. It's a little ways to go. But I was just trying to give us some good field position. Once I got out, I was like, 'Okay. I have to go to 25.' But yes it was a good comeback and I wish I could have taken it all the way.”
Saunders said he has “all the respect in the world” for Mahomes, but was happy to take advantage of the quarterback's rare mistakes.
“To be on the other end of that mistake that happened, it was special for me,” Saunders said.
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