What the Falcons had to say after the loss to the Panthers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Here’s what the Falcons had to say after the 30-0 loss to the Panthers on Sunday:
BIJAN ROBINSON, running back
On the loss: “This is a loss right here that needs to bring us together as a team. It’s going to hurt. But we have to hurt together. We just have to unleash just all of the execution when we play the Commanders.”
On the offense’s play: “… It was just one of those tough days where we were trying to find some things in the offense. We have to score the football. (Falcons’ offensive coordinator) Zac (Robinson) is calling great plays. But at the end of the day, us as an offense, we have to score. We have not scored a lot of touchdowns these past three games. We have to go back to the drawing board obviously and understand that putting the ball in the end zone is the most important thing for us as an offense. We can’t keep letting the defense keep going back on the field. They get to a point where they are getting tired. The team will start executing plays off of them if we are not doing our part, doing our job and putting them under stress. It’s on us and we have to put the ball in the end zone.”
On the performance of the team: “I was surprised. I didn’t want to lose by 30 today. Nobody did. But it happened. For us, I believe this can either make a team or break a team. I think for us, this needs to make this team. We need to come in (on Monday). Watch this game. We all need to feel the same hurt. Same way. This is a division game at that.”
DARNELL MOONEY, wide receiver
On not getting in the red zone: “It’s been tough. You look back, I don’t think we really scored a passing touchdown, yet. We’ve got some things we’ve got to work on for sure. It’s been tough. It’s been tough.”
On the key to working out their issues: “We have to watch the film and get back to it on that. Once I watch the film, I’ll be able to give more takes on that.”
On coach Morris’ message to the team: “We have to stay together at these tough times. Every year, we have one of these games like this, where it’s like ‘damn.’ It’s good that it’s earlier than it is later. We hate that it’s a division game. We always have one of these games each. It’s good that it was early. Get it out of the way. Look at the film and see what happened.”
JESSIE BATES III, safety
On the game: “It’s only week 3. This game is not going to define us.”
On what happened after the fine showing in Minnesota: “It was the whole group. I think our starting field position for our offense was like the 15-yard line. They were starting on the 45- and 50-yard line. It’s hard to win games like that.”
On Michael Penix Jr. being so young: “It was on a lot of people. It was Week 3. We can get on a hot streak and put this behind us.”
On the game: “The whole group. Every phase just wasn’t good enough. At one moment we could have took the momentum back. Then the next thing you know, we’re not doing well on special teams. The defense is not responding. It was just the snowball effect. It just wasn’t a good day for us.”
On how to move forward: “We have to look ourselves in the mirror and see why we lost this way. The biggest thing is to be honest with each other. Why did this happen. Learn from this.”
On Michael Penix. “It’s just like when we are winning, can we bounce back. We’re going to tell Mike to keep your eyes up. There are still (14) more games. Stuff like that… you can talk about it all day, but we have to execute."
PARKER ROMO, kicker
On his first missed field goal: “I think I hit the outside panel of the ball, kind of made it go left to right a little bit. I have to go back and look at my routine and make the corrections and be better next weekend.”
On his mentality after going 5-for-5 last week and 0-for-2 this week: “Just stay level-headed. Doesn’t matter if it’s one kick or the other, make or miss. Move on, make the correction and let’s go.”
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.
