FLOWERY BRANCH – Linebacker Foye Oluokun, who made a game-saving interception in the final minute of the 20-16 win over the Detroit Lions, was named the NFC’s defensive player of the week on Wednesday.
“Well, I think he’s an ascending player,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said.
Oluokun, who’s second in the league with 166 tackles, had a team-high 14 tackles and a pass breakup to go with the interception.
“Foye has been lighting it up,” Falcons linebacker Deion Jones said. “Foye has been having a great season. It a product of his hard work and how he attacks every week. It’s paid off. He closed out a game, this last game especially when we needed it right in the red zone. That’s closer mentality. He is doing his thing. He took the middle linebacker role and ran away with it. That’s just the type of guy he is, and I’m happy for him.”
Oluokun intercepted Lions quarterback Tim Boyle on Atlanta’s one-yard line with 33 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
“So, when we saw (Russell Gage’s fumble with 2:18 to play in the fourth quarter), we all huddled up there in the beginning,” Oluokun said. “I said, ‘If they don’t score a touchdown, we win the game.’ And eventually when they ran out of timeouts, it was like red-zone 7-on-7. ... Everybody calmed down from there and just made the play happen.”
Oluokun became the first Falcons’ player to have at least 14 tackles and an interception in a game since Curtis Lofton in Week 17 of the 2011 season. He also won the player of the week award in Week 9 of last season.
Oluokun is the fourth Falcon to be named player of the week this season, joining Deion Jones (Week 7), Matt Ryan (Week 9) and Thomas Morstead (Week 12).
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
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