FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – The Atlanta Falcons are back at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Here are four stats about safety Damontae Kazee, who will play a key role in the Week 11 showdown:
1. Krazy Kazee: Last Sunday, Kazee intercepted Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and returned it for 33 yards, marking his fifth interception of the season. With that interception, the second-year safety currently leads the NFL in interceptions, surpassing Bears' Kyle Fuller, Panthers' Donte Jackson and Redskins' D.J. Swearinger.
2. Year 1 to Year 2: According to Next Gen Stats, Kazee is playing 84 percent of the team's defensive snaps (483 plays), the fourth-most on the team, trailing Desmond Trufant, De'Vondre Campbell and Robert Alford. With season-ending losses to safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal, his snap count has significantly gone up from last year where he played 16 percent of the defensive snaps, just 156 plays, through 16 games.
3. Pick 'em: Kazee's five interceptions are more than five teams in the NFL, including Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Detroit Lions, Philadelphia and the Falcons' opponent, the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys' defense produced three interceptions in nine games, with their third interception occurring last week. Another Kazee pick this weekend will mark his third consecutive game with an interception, tying the longest streak in 2018, one that he did from Weeks 4-6.
4. Falcons Fact: Through the Falcons' first nine games, Kazee has matched the most interceptions by a Falcon, tying Ray Buchanan's five interceptions in 2000. Kazee will need another interception this week to tie Buchanan's record of six picks through a team's first 10 games.
