Second-year cornerback Robert Alford took the heat for his miscue that helped turn the tide in the Falcons’ 24-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Trailing 10-3, Alford made a gamble with the Falcons in an all-out blitz. He undercut a slant route and didn’t break up the pass. Cincinnati receiver Mohamed Sanu caught the pass and ran in for a 76-yard touchdown.
“I went in on it,” Alford said. “It was a slant. I was on top of it. Then he got the ball down. I didn’t get all of the ball. I got my hand on it and tipped it. That’s what happened on that. I just have to get all of my hand up and bat that ball down.”
Falcons coach Mike Smith and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan were not pleased with the play. Smith was seen discussing the play with Alford.
“He was telling me to just stick it out there and hit all of the ball, like I knew after the play happen, I knew what I should have did,” Alford said.
Smith would have prefer that Alford had not gambled on that play in that situation.
“There was no middle of the field defender there,” Smith said. “That was an all-out blitz. He undercut and didn’t win.”
Smith felt the team was fortunate to just be down 10-3 before that play.
“There was sequence there where we got a stop defensively,” Smith said. “The second time we come out, we get them in third and long. We give up the explosive touchdown and turn right back around and give them the ball back on a turnover on a pass that was tipped up in the air. Then we couldn’t get the stop.”
Alford finished with five tackles and on tackle for a loss. He stood up for his miscues, but was not sure what happen to the rest of the defense.
“I can’t really speak too much about the running plays, but I can speak about the play that I had,” Alford said. “ I should have got all of my hand of the ball instead of tipping it.”
The 76-yard touchdown put the Bengals up 17-3.
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