Falcons’ Raheem Morris on Bijan Robinson: ‘Just find more ways to get him the football’
Here’s what Falcons coach Raheem Morris had to say after the 34-27 win over the Commanders on Sunday:
Opening Statement: “Nice win. Nice to get a win heading into the bye. Let’s go get healthy and come out ready to go.”
On how he thought the offense performed: “Obviously, we go out there and try to win every single week. And this week, it seemed to move a little bit better with Zac (Robinson) on the field. The communication seemed brisk. It seemed more comfortable to what we are and what we want to do. I was really pleased with how that worked out today.”
On what it does to open things up on offense when RB Bijan Robinson gets going: “Just find more ways to get him the football. He’s an unbelievable football player. I keep saying it, but he keeps going out and proving it. I’m glad he’s on our team. I’m glad we did a great job drafting him here and being part of that young man’s life what he’s able to do for us. I couldn’t be more proud of the young man.”
On TE Kyle Pitts’ impact: “He’s been doing a great job all season. It’s nice to see his work from the offseason, his work from the training camp and his work since he’s been here come to life. He made some critical plays for us today. Some big-time third downs, some big-time third-down catches. He’s out there giving us everything he’s got, and I’m proud of him as well.”
On who got game balls today: “We’ve given a couple today. Tomorrow, I’ll give those things out like breath mints. So, we’ll figure that out. But today, we gave out to Josh Woods. Tough week on the young man, personally. To see him bounce back and play for his football team, I was extremely excited for that. We gave it to Michael Penix for all the scrutiny he went through last week, being able to put his head down, go to work and find the open receivers.”
On QB Michael Penix Jr.’s ability to bounce back this week: “I was really encouraged that he would be able to do that. This young man is one of those guys who is the definition of grit, the definition of resilience. We’ve talked about his calm demeanor since he’s been here, and just another opportunity for him to go out there and show it. He had that game last week, and we acknowledged it. We gave you guys what happened, what went wrong, and we came out and fixed it. I was proud of him.”
On whether RB Bijan Robinson was running backward for a first down: “I’ve got to see the tape on that one. Did I miss something? I missed it. He got the first down. That’s going to show up on tape for me.”
On whether there was a moment where he felt like QB Michael Penix Jr. was going to bounce back: “Monday, when he came to work. I believed in him that day. I believed in him Wednesday when we got to practice. I believed in him Thursday. I believed in him Friday. I believed in him Saturday night, and I believed in him Sunday when he walked into the stadium. This kid is unshakeable. He’s going to be with us for a while. He’s going to lead us for a while. I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
On whether a day like today helps his teammates and the organization believe in QB Michael Penix Jr.: “I don’t think he lost any of the teammates. He definitely didn’t lose anybody that’s part of our brass, so to speak, when we talk about our ownership and talk about our front office, and we talk about our coaches and our players. They love Mike. He’s going to win a lot of games for us.”
On QB Michael Penix Jr.’s downfield passing attack: “We were able to exploit some things down the field today. We were able to get open. We were able to throw the ball out there and put it up there and give them a chance at some things. Definitely some trust built over the first couple of weeks, being able to let some of those things go and the timing of the play. These things aren’t open a lot in the NFL. Sometimes you have to let it go and let Drake (London) make some plays. He went out and made them today. And so did Mike and the other guys as well. It was fun to watch those guys go.”
On whether there was a specific example of where he saw the improved communication with having Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson down on the field: “I think it starts right from the beginning. His energy that he brings from the sidelines, from the corrections on the sideline, being able to evaluate those things quickly. We’ve got great guys in the box that can see things very well, see it fast. He sees it live as well as anybody I’ve been around, and that’s part of his strength. Him being on the field is beneficial to all of us. Being able to have direct communication with myself, with T.J. [Yates], the quarterbacks, all those guys. Being able to feel the flow of the game from the defense and where we’re going. Being able to feel the flow of the game from what’s happening from the return standpoint and special teams. All of those things come into play and came into play for us today.”
On what he likes about QB Michael Penix Jr. tangibly and where he feels like he’s progressed mechanically this season: “I’d be remiss if I sit up here and talk about mechanics for Michael. But I just think Michael, when I watched him play in college, he had all the things that I loved about him, all the unique tool sets. Being able to get the ball out of his hand to be able to find the open receiver, to be able to throw the ball down the field. To be able to go through the process of our football game and do all those things. I’ve been absolutely enamored by him since I got a chance to draft him.”
On seeing WR Drake London have the game he did today: “It’s always great to see Drake play well. When Drake goes out and he plays with that type of physicality and plays with that type of energy, our team is just different across the board. So, being able to see those things and Drake being able to get out there and get some receptions and have some success is absolutely awesome. To stop you guys from writing about receivers not having touchdowns is beautiful.”
On what QB Michael Penix Jr. showed last Monday that made him confident in his ability to bounce back: “When he walked into the meeting room. When he talked to his group. When he came in and talked to his unit. His ability to put his head down and work. There was no moping. There was no finger-pointing. He took it upon himself, and he came out and fixed it.”
On whether he has an update on WR Darnell Mooney: “I don’t. I know he went out of the game. We obviously have a bye week, so I’ll be able to get you guys some stuff soon.”
On the mentality of the locker room and the reaction of the team: “They’re always big. But when you talk about coming off the nasty, disgusting taste we left out there for ourselves (last week), that was our apology to our fans today to be able to go out and get us a win so we can go out and enjoy our bye week and everybody can be happy.”
On an update on CB Natrone Brooks: “I just seen him walking around the locker room with his son. Those are always good signs. I got a chance to hug his son. His son hugged me back, so that was awesome. Brooks was in there. He’s in good spirits, so we’ll see where he is from a health standpoint and all those things.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
