Bijan Robinson & others on the Atlanta Falcons OT loss to the Carolina Panthers | Press Conference

Bijan Robinson & others on the Atlanta Falcons OT loss to the Carolina Panthers | Press Conference

Bjan, last week in Berlin, we spoke to Kaden Ellis and he said that you guys have been so close in all these games, but now close isn’t going to cut it anymore. Another close game today. What’s your reaction following that once again? Yep. Well, first always got to give honor to God, man. Um, without him, like we wouldn’t be out here playing. Uh, I just give all the glory to him and you know what Jesus did for for myself, for this team, and what I’m going to continue to do for him every single time I step on that field. Like, just give him glory um no matter what. So, you know, I just praise God, bro. like that’s that’s the biggest thing for me. But yeah, to your question. Um yeah, man. I mean this we we these close games like we got to we got to we got to win it. Um that’s that’s what we got to do. I know it’s tough for us right now. Like you know we’re all we’re down right now cuz you know we lost. Um but I it’s just how we come back to it, man. And and how we get back to you know just having fun. Like that’s that’s the main thing. Like just go out there and just have fun. Like you know play street ball and these people like just go out there and and play with a smile. Um we and I think that’s what we’re going to what we have to do to continue to win. Um but yeah, man. I mean it’s it’s definitely definitely sucks when we especially division game like that when we when we really want a win for that game at three and seven. Not you know mathematically officially eliminated from playoff contention, but you just mentioned it. How do you guys keep the positive mentality going on the rest of this season knowing that it’s going to be pretty hard for you guys really to continue to make that playoff push? Yeah, I mean we the biggest thing we got to do is stay stay off social media, man. Um, you know, social media is just such a worldly thing and it’s just controlled by the devil and it’s if it gets in this this locker room, like that’s what divides locker rooms. um when when guys go on social media, look at not great news um about the team or about themselves like and then when they start looking at themselves uh then they start getting so caught in into what somebody has to say about them instead of just them doing their job and them going back to the to the drawing board, them going back to the to the film room cuz you know I I’ve seen it and you know it it shut guys down, man. Um, so just me as a leader trying to instill confidence in them every single day and and bringing positivity in the building like that’s the biggest thing. Um, because it it happens a lot when when teams are in this position and it just spirals cuz you know they just they just focus on the wrong stuff. So for me like I’m going work real hard man. Like I know it’s going to be uncomfortable for me but I don’t care. like I care too much about these guys and you know that’s that’s what I got to do to instill confidence in them and that’s that’s just what I got to do at this point of the season. Huge first huge first half for you. Huge first half for you. You guys kind of got slowed down a little bit in the second half there. What were the adjustments that Carolina made that kind of put a stall there? Um I mean there a lot of a lot of couple different things like you know Mike being injured like that that definitely hurts but Kirk came in and and balled out like you know he did the best that he could. Um, and I I really respect him for that. And, you know, for us, like we just got to, you know, continue to don’t don’t put ourselves in in backed up situations and and continue to like um do do the little things, the the fundamentals, little details. But for all of us, like, you know, there there’s no one I got to be better, too. Uh, you know, there I I want some plays back. Um, I want pass protection back. I just it’s not going to be a perfect game. So, for us, like we just need to eliminate uh the mistakes as much as possible. And you know, we do that, man. Like, we’ll we’ll run away from games um from teams because, you know, that’s that’s what we try to do, man. And and you know, it hurts like being up 21 to 10, but yeah, we we’ll figure it out. Is there is there a level of frustration? Is there a level of frustration, Ban, because you guys have been so close the past two weeks? And how do you stop that frustration from creeping into this locker room? Like I said, man, just staying off social media because, you know, for us, like that’s just one thing. Um but then but then looking just looking back at our film man like you know me and me me and coach Petri this week um you know we we watched all my runs uh from the whole season and you know we he critiqued him and I critiqued myself he critiqued me and you know I I want to be better on some of the runs this season and you know that’s what we did so we can get better and you know I feel like it just got me back to staying patient you know manipulating linebackers getting people off their spot breaking tackles um and that’s what I’m going continue to do to help this team but you know me and me and coach future were just in an uncomfortable situation looking at, you know, some some of the bad plays. Like we weren’t focused on the good stuff. We were focused on the the not so great stuff and that’s just what helped me out. So, I feel like with the team as well, like, you know, we can all just go back and look at um you know, our individual plays of the season that weren’t great and just fix it, just critique it. Cuz when we do that, when we do a little thing like that, then that’s how we, you know, become, you know, a complete team and and that’s how all the players here want to become the players that they want to become. What are you most frustrated with? shoot. Losing five in a row, you know, you don’t what we don’t don’t expect at all. I think uh we had him, but it just came short. What would you say to Michael after he left the game, if anything? And how do you help him get through whatever happens in the next 24 to 48 hours? What do you mean about that? Just his injury, you know, I mean, the game, whatever, you know, if it’s serious or not, you know, he’s been through this before. You know, his history, I’m sure. Shoot. Um, yeah, I think um really just just getting it right. Just getting it right. just uh treating it, you know, just making sure he’s all right mentally and his being as well. So, it’s more making sure he’s okay. Obviously, the injury and whether we’re missing him or not, but um just making sure he’s okay is the most important thing. Can you pinpoint one thing that will correct uh what’s been going on of late or is it a myriad of things? Um there was a couple obviously we were moving in the first half, but then the second half kind of died down a little bit. Um just completing um not getting any three and outs. I think that’s the most important thing. What’s the most frustrating part? Is that how close you guys are with the backtoback overtime losses? Like knowing how close this team could be to having a better outcome? Yeah. Hey Tyler, how tough today you all got three touchdowns, got the offense rolling. Um how are y’all trying to, you know, stay in that uh zone there or build on that from today? Oh yeah, obviously um it’s really just momentum. I think the three and outs kind of got us, but um it’s really just doing the little things, whether it’s the details in the pass game or the run game and uh just making sure we’re just moving the chains. I think that’s what um that’s what can help us. John talked a lot about keeping this team together. How do you guys go about doing that? Make sure this locker room sticks together the last half season. Yeah, I think just making sure everyone’s okay mentally. Um just make I think uh we’re already a close-knit as it is. So, I think that’s what’s um amazing about this team. And uh shoot, just on to onto the next being one and0 this week. think we got a great challenge up ahead. We got a good team coming up. So, um, yeah. What did you think about Kurt’s performance coming in after after Michael went down? Sure. I thought it was good. I think, um, yeah, thought that was good. Do you think this team’s locker room is built with the resilient guys needed to flip the script and turn things around? Let me say that again. Do you think this team has the resiliency, the guys in this locker room that will stick together and turn it around? Yeah, hands down. I think um we all just got to look at each other and be like, “Okay, like like enough’s enough obviously and um shooting just just keep keep balling, keep playing for each other, keep balling for each other. I think that’s the most important thing.” Uh just watching the film Monday and um growing from it, learning why, telling the truth of uh what happened um and then having a good productive practice week. Can you kind of explain what you think, you know, maybe it comes down to at the end of the day? You guys are obviously in these games, but just can’t come away with a win. Uh I’m not sure. I think each game has a story and um I can’t tell you what it is right now. I have to see tomorrow obviously you know to come up short. Um you know we just got to we got to own our opportunities. Chris, how frustrating was just to have the success that you did in the first half and obviously second half not so good and the Panthers able to come back and win the game? Yeah. Um I think you you know obviously you said it there. Um just need to be better and we got to see why. Um and just evaluate it tomorrow. How does the offense change in that second half after after Michael Phoenix goes down? Um, I think Kirk did a great job stepping in. Um, obviously he led a really, you know, difficult two-minute drive. Um, he did a great job with that. He did a great job communicating with us, and like I said, I don’t know um the why right now, but we’ll find out tomorrow. How much does the playbook change when you transition quarterbacks like that, or is there not that big of a difference? Uh, there wasn’t a transition. Um, and I think that’s, you know, we’re so thankful that, um, Kirk is such a professional and the way he prepares and that, um, it’s not like you have to strip anything down for him. You know, he’s as smart as anybody in the NFL. So, um, he did a great job and a really good job communicating with us. The only thing is the, uh, is the cadence is the difference, right? And, um, thankfully we we got a lot of reps with Kirk, too. So, um, it was an easy transition for us. Is this locker room still as tight as it was last week in week four? Uh, absolutely. Um, I think that’s a universal feeling here. um and a universal love for the staff too. And so um I think that’s what makes it emotionally difficult um for these losses, but in the same sense what makes it easier to come in tomorrow. Um and a lot of guys are battling through a lot of things and um just they’re working working for it and you know to overcome this. Over the last five weeks after the losses, you guys have been saying like we need to turn a new page and you know find a new way to find get a win. What’s going to change this week? How could you guys do something differently to to finally snap that streak? I think just the preparation piece uh in the week and finding it and owning it. Um and then when moments present um taking those opportunities um that’s really it. Of course, just playing closer to the line, you know, dealing with the bigger guys, of course, the old linemen and stuff like that, but uh it’s not too much different. You know, they do a good job mixing up the defenses and uh putting me in positions to make plays. So, I like it. They had moved the ball on the ground for most of the last month. They threw it a ton today. Did that catch y’all by surprise at all? Um no. We knew uh coming into the game they were going to test us out on the ground. Um so we had to come in and stop the run. That was a big focal point today and then once we get them into those situations and the pass down, we was going to have to, you know, bow up and do what we have to do, but um just didn’t get it done today. Ronnie, what were those last couple of drives like really that last half of the fourth quarter into into overtime knowing you guys need a stop? Um just weren’t able to get one. Um it was tough. You know, it was tough. um the whole defense, you know, we’re we’re beating ourselves up, but uh we got to come back next week and come back stronger and just find ways to get stops in those tough situations. What are you telling um you know, your your teammates on the sideline about having to get that one stop and and knowing what the outcome could be? Um you know, we’re all just telling each other, you know, we got to go get that stop, got to get the ball, got to find a way to get off. Um just encouraging each other. You know, no one’s getting down. You know, we we know we got to make the play and um we’ll do that in the future. Yeah. on the on the uh Trimbo play. Looked like he had a shot at him. Uh what uh what did you see there? Um just seen him catch the ball um coming across the middle. I tried to punch the ball instead of really going for a tackle, but uh you know, we got to find a way to get them on the ground and and get that stop. How do you guys get to I think it seems like you guys are struggling to like make the big play in the big moment. What What What do you see about that? Um just got to be more uh have more attention to detail. um you know and just you know give more effort on those plays. You know when it gets late in the game got to go got to go even harder. So um that’s what we got to focus on.

Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Chris Lindstrom and Ronnie Harrison Jr. speak to the media following the Atlanta Falcons loss to the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

0:00 – Bijan Robinson – RB
4:41 – Tyler Allgeier – RB
7:05 – Chris Lindstrom – G
9:21 – Ronnie Harrison Jr. – ILB

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