Oft-maligned Noah Igbinoghene seals Dolphins' win with 1st interception: 'A dream come true'
MIAMI GARDENS — The drought is finally over for Miami Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
More than two years since his first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Auburn and 1,450 days since the last interception of his career, Igbinoghene grabbed his first professional interception, picking off Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to seal the Dolphins’ 16-10 win on "Sunday Night Football."
Igbinoghene's toe-tap interception was briefly ruled incomplete before a quick review showed the former high school wide receiver clearly got both feet inbounds for a touchback.
“The ball is in the bag right there," Igbinoghene said while pointing to his locker. "I’m going to put it somewhere.
“I actually didn’t know [if I was inbounds] because the referee called it out at first but then I saw the review and it was in. Man, I was so excited we got this win for this team. We put the work in this week and then we went out and did it.”
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Teammates weren’t shy about heaping praise on Igbinoghene in the locker room postgame.
While some shouted “Noah ended the game” and “Talk that s*** Noah” as reporters gathered around the third-year cornerback, others, like veteran corner Xavien Howard, directed media away from their lockers to make sure Igbinoghene found the spotlight.
“I’m ecstatic. He’s resilient, keeps working no matter what,” Dolphins safety Jevon Holland said. “You see it on the field. He got his opportunity and he took advantage of it.”
Igbinoghene last grabbed an interception on Nov. 3, 2018 when he picked off Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond in the fourth quarter of Auburn’s 28-24 win over the Aggies.
He's since experienced the extremes of NFL hype and scrutiny.
Selected by Miami with the No. 30 overall pick in 2020, Igbinoghene has frequently drawn criticism for his play, particularly in relation to the lofty expectations of his draft position.
The Steelers, who now employ former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores as a senior defensive assistant, were quick to target Igbinoghene throughout Sunday's contest. The Steelers' lone touchdown, a second-quarter pass to George Pickens, came with Igbinoghene in single coverage.
As Pickett moved the Steelers deep into Dolphins territory in the final minute of Sunday's game, he again targeted Igbinoghene's man, Diontae Johnson, near the end zone pylon.
Johnson drifted inside, however, leaving Igbinoghene space to seal the Dolphins victory with a toe-tap.
"The whole team in the locker room was really excited for him because they know how hard he's worked," head coach Mike McDaniel said.
“This is something we’ve been making a big point of emphasis for the team: turnover differential. It’s something we’ve been working on so to get one early and then late in the game, when it matters most, to get two was awesome to see."
The Dolphins' secondary has been ravaged by injuries in 2022 and suffered another against Pittsburgh as cornerback Brandon Jones exited in the second half with a knee injury.
Igbinoghene has seen his playing time increase significantly the last two weeks. With the interception drought now cleared, the Dolphins are surely hoping his confidence will, too.
“Words can’t even explain,” Igbinoghene said. “I’ve been dreaming about [that first interception], thinking about it and working towards it. It’s a dream come true.
“The coaches have been preaching interceptions and turnovers and we went out there and did it. That’s such a blessing.”
Eric J. Wallace can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Noah Igbinoghene's interception seals Miami Dolphins win over Steelers
