WATCH: Pete Werner deflects a pass, Tyrann Mathieu intercepts it vs. Raiders

Bang. There’s the spark the New Orleans Saints needed. Linebacker Pete Werner broke up a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders at midfield, which was intercepted by veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu. It was the second interception of the year for Mathieu, and for the Saints defense as a whole. And it was badly needed with the Raiders offense on the move.

Mathieu has experienced some highs and lows in his first year as a Saint — earlier in the game he tried to tackle Raiders running back Josh Jacobs at the Las Vegas 37-yard line, only to get drug for 9 yards after contact — but he has been their most consistent source of turnovers. He’s still finding ways to make plays.

But Werner deserves a lot of credit here. He read the play design and dropped back in coverage far enough to get in front of Raiders wideout Hunter Renfrow, giving him a shot at breaking up the pass. His pass deflection created that opportunity for Mathieu to take the ball away. Werner has been one of the best players on the team this season, and his second-year surge has been impressive to watch. Here’s to more big plays from Nos. 20 and 32.

Story originally appeared on Saints Wire