Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson (83) grabs a pass in the end zone but Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) knocks the ball loose in for an incomplete pass during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Cardinals React to Game-Saving Play

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 1:38 PM ET

With seconds remaining, the Arizona Cardinals needed a stop in the red zone.

What was once a double digit lead with under five minutes to play quickly was in danger of going to overtime. The heavily favored Cardinals needed a play to escape the Superdome with a victory over the New Orleans Saints, and their best player rose to the occasion.

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler - who marched New Orleans down the field with ease - threaded a ball to tight end Juwan Johnson in double coverage down the seam.

It appeared Johnson had come down with the pass, putting the Saints in position to extend the game far past the original 60 minutes and expectations of everybody watching.

Yet Budda Baker came flying in under Johnson, in true Baker heat-seeking-missile fashion, and jarred the ball loose enough from Johnson to cause an incomplete pass.

Excellent play by Budda Baker to secure the win pic.twitter.com/WOgYUpnwkv
— T.J. Randall (@TJ_Randall12) September 7, 2025

The Saints didn't come close on the next and final play of the game. Arizona walked out as winners, thanks in part to a mix of instinct, pursuit and willigness by Baker to put his body on the line.

“Exactly you know we practice for these situations and it was one of those situations where the quarterback threw it and our job is to try to just lock and that's what happened," Baker said after the game.

“Man to man my job is that when the quarterback breaks and he throws it i try to dislodge it and JT’s (Jalen Thompson) the man, he tries to dislodge it as well and lock the ball up.”

When Johnson first hit the ground, everybody in attendance and viewers at home thought he came down with the pass.

Even Rattler thought it was completed.

“Game of inches. I think that guy made a good play on that ball to Juwan (Johnson), but I told Juwan before that play that I’m coming at you, so be ready. I’ll throw that ball to him 100 times out of 100. Very close, but you got to somehow finish that out," he said following the loss.

“Execution in some end-of-game calls was really good. The end of the game was awesome," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said.

Baker finished the game with ten tackles and one pass defensed on the afternoon.

“We were very excited to get out there and play with each other for the first time and it's definitely something special but we talked about; it's going to be our worst game because we’re going to continue to get better and take it one day at a time and go on to the next one," he said.