“I jogged off the field. I said, ‘There is no way. There is no way we recovered that ball.’ I just jogged off. Somebody was saying, “No, we might have it,” I’m like, ‘How?'” admitted quarterback Kirk Cousins.
“Our offensive line coach preaches, they call it, covering. So, when the ball is thrown, and the rush stops, you are to run forward. You don’t know where or why, but you are to run forward. They coach it. They do it so much. We’re just walking through plays, and after every play, they walk forward to train the muscle memory.
“I’m so happy for Neuz making that play. It’s classic O-linemen: just do their job, not make it about them, and be in the right spot and make the play because they’re doing what they’re coached to do.”
The play was indicative of how the game was swinging the Falcons’ way late.
After the Bucs went up 28-14 thanks to a successful touchdown and two-point conversion, the Falcons seemed out of luck. Then, with just under 10 minutes left, Bijan Robinson ran in a 6-yard touchdown. The Falcons didn’t convert the two-point play, but with 3:34 left, Dee Alford intercepted Baker Mayfield. The Falcons capped the drive when Kirk Cousins connected with Kyle Pitts for their duo’s third touchdown of the day.
“It was the plan all along,” Morris said of Pitts’ contribution with Drake London sidelined. “Kyle is our guy. You’re down a couple of your guys, like Drake, some of those guys, and Kyle has really filled in that role and become the lead dog guy.