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Alford's Red-Zone Pick Saves Falcons' 19-17 Win over Saints, Giving NFC South Title to Panthers
- On Jan 4, 2026, Dee Alford's red-zone interception sealed the Atlanta Falcons' 19-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes‑Benz Stadium.
- By closing the season with four consecutive wins, the Falcons finished 8-9, creating a three-way tie in the NFC South that the Carolina Panthers won via divisional record; Tampa Bay stayed alive with a 16-14 win on Saturday but needed a Saints win or tie.
- Alford's interception return of a Tyler Shough pass intended for Dante Pettis set up a 38-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal with 3:14 remaining, and Shough's 16-yard touchdown came too late.
- The result gave the Carolina Panthers a playoff berth and their first division title in a decade, as the Falcons completed a sweep of the Saints and eliminated the Buccaneers.
- Atlanta Falcons defense set a franchise-season record with 57 sacks, including four in this game, while injuries mounted for both teams and New Orleans now turns to the NFL draft.
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For the first time in a decade, the Carolina Panthers are NFC South champions. For the first time in NFL history, the Panthers are the only franchise to make the postseason with a losing record twice.Carolina learned its fate on Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints, sparing the Panthers due to a three-way tiebreaker among 8-9 teams. The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Saturday and Atlanta decided the division title amo…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources116
Leaning Left20Leaning Right17Center41Last UpdatedBias Distribution52% Center
Bias Distribution
- 52% of the sources are Center
52% Center
L 26%
C 52%
R 22%
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