Saints' Jonas Sanker seals dramatic 17-17 tie with last-second interception vs. Jaguars

Ribin Peter

•
Saints' Jonas Sanker seals dramatic 17-17 tie with last-second interception vs. Jaguars image

Stephen Lew

What many expected to be a slow-paced game took a breathtaking turn in the final moments on Sunday. The matchup in question was the New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Week 2 preseason game.

In a thrilling game, the Jaguars and the Saints fought to a dramatic 17-17 tie. They sealed the result with a breathtaking last-second interception. With the clock winding down and the Saints trailing by eight points, quarterback Spencer Rattler orchestrated a comeback drive to tie the game. Then the Saints defense made a game-saving play in the final seconds.

With just 59 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the score at Jaguars 17, Saints 9, Rattler took center stage. Rattler found wide receiver Dante Pettis on a 20-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds left on the clock.

Watch the highlight of Rattler’s touchdown pass below:

Then, Rattler made a play on the two-point conversion by scrambling right and running into the end zone himself, leveling the score at 17-17.

The game's defining moment came in the final play. With the Saints having tied the game, Jaguars quarterback Seth Henigan threw an interception intended to salvage a last-moment win. Instead, Jonas Sanker, the Saints' 2025 third-round draft pick, snatched the ball and returned it 39 yards out of bounds as the clock expired.

Watch the video of Sanker's wild interception below:

 The interception ended the game, locking in the 17-17 tie.

Ribin Peter

Ribin Peter is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. While he started as a soccer writer, he now covers college football and the NFL. Ribin is especially captivated by the adrenaline rush that football provides and sees every play and rivalry through an unbiased lens.