NEW ORLEANS -- Add another unforgettable moment to the New Orleans Saints-Atlanta Falcons rivalry: the "butt pick."
Saints rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore intercepted a pass late in the second quarter that actually came to rest on his butt as he lay face down -- before he secured it against his backside with help from teammates Marcus Williams and Craig Robertson.
"Everybody else was trying to grab it. So I just had to keep it in my possession," said Lattimore, who said he has made some athletic plays before, "but nothing like that."
Social media immediately erupted with references to the #buttpick and #buttinterception, as well as comparisons to the New York Jets' infamous "butt fumble" from five years ago.
"I must be living right, I don't know," said Lattimore. "Who doesn't love the term 'butt pick' but saw that social media was already rolling with it."
"I don't know. They're gonna have to call it what they want. Hopefully it's No. 1 on the top-10 SportsCenter," Lattimore said. "But it was a great play and we won, so that's all I can think about."
Saints RB Mark Ingram said it's "gotta be an ESPY" and suggested hamstring curl.
Meanwhile, the Saints made it count by turning the momentum into a quick 54-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Ted Ginn Jr. three plays later for a 13-0 halftime lead en route to a 23-13 win.
This one might not wind up being immortalized with a statue outside the Superdome like Steve Gleason's blocked punt against the Falcons when the Saints reopened the building after Hurricane Katrina in 2006, but it did have big playoff implications. The Saints (11-4) clinched a playoff spot with the win and would claim the NFC South with a victory next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The interception was Lattimore's fifth of the season and second in three weeks against Atlanta as he looks to cement his place as the front-runner for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
"I haven't seen anything like that before," Lattimore said. "But it helped us win, so that's the biggest thing."
The 11th overall draft pick from Ohio State made the Pro Bowl earlier in the week at the age of 21. He tied Sammy Knight's franchise record from 1997 with five interceptions as a rookie.