Running back Devonta Freeman has a lot motivating him this week.
Not only is Freeman riding the Falcons’ first win in six games and his first rushing touchdown since Week 6, but he achieved one of his career goals — being nominated for his first Pro Bowl, along with wide receiver Julio Jones.
When he was giving Christmas presents to local families Tuesday, Freeman learned he was named to the Pro Bowl roster in a phone call from coach Dan Quinn.
“Coach DQ called me and said, ‘Tell your mama to get ready and fly.’ I was like, ‘For what?’ And he said, ‘You’re going to Hawaii.’ So I just broke out, putting on the biggest smile ever,” Freeman said. “I had to leave out of the family’s house. That’s how excited I was.”
Despite having a notable, breakout season, Freeman refuses to take the credit.
“All the running we do, opening lanes to run in, all credit goes to (the offensive line),” Freeman said. “I got (to where I am) with my team.”
The second-year running back has gained 907 rushing yards this season and is tied with the Bengals’ Jeremy Hill for first place in rushing touchdowns (10) in the NFL.
Offensive tackle Jake Matthews has been opening holes for Freeman since the two were drafted by the Falcons in 2014.
“He definitely deserved (the Pro Bowl nomination),” Matthews said. “The way he finishes on guys in the secondary or basically anyone that’s trying to tackle him, it’s really impressive. He’s a beast.”
With 543 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season, Freeman is just as threatening in the secondary as he is on the ground.
“We’re thrilled for (Jones and Freeman), especially Devonta being the first time going through that experience and the emotion of it. He’s worked extremely hard,” Quinn said.
Recognizing that two games remain in the regular season, Freeman’s Pro Bowl nomination doesn’t cloud his focus while preparing for Sunday’s rematch against the Carolina Panthers.
“(The Panthers game left) a bitter taste in my mouth. I’ll never forget that. Never,” Freeman said of the Falcons’ 38-0 loss Dec. 13. “No matter how many championships you win, no matter how many games you won, I’m always going to remember that loss.”
In their six-game losing streak, the Falcons averaged 21 rushing attempts and 42 passing attempts per game.
After their loss to the Panthers, the Falcons sought a more balanced offense. In Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Jaguars, the Falcons struck the desired balance, running 33 times and passing 35.
“We were running like we used to, like we did in the beginning of the season,” running back Tevin Coleman said. “That was very good for us, and it brought a lot of confidence for us to go out there and run on Carolina.”
The Falcons are 5-1 when Freeman or Coleman run 20 times are more.
The Falcons beat the Eagles when Coleman — the starting running back in Week 1 — had 20 carries. The Falcons also defeated the Cowboys, the Redskins, the Titans and the Jaguars when Freeman has 30, 27, 25 and 25 carries respectively. The team’s only loss when Freeman had over 20 carries was the Falcons’ first meeting with Tampa Bay, when Freeman had 21 carries.
“I feel like, whatever the game plan is, that’s what we’re going to do,” Freeman said. “Whether we get the ball 14 times, 12 times, we have to win at the end of the day and make plays.”
Having achieved noteworthy goals this season, such as being second only to the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson in most rushing first downs this season (58), Freeman’s goal this week is to learn from the Falcons loss to the Panthers.
“I’m going out there to lay it all on the line to put our team in a better position and give us a chance,” Freeman said. “(The Panthers) do a (good) job at what they do. That’s why we just have to do a good job at what we do. It’s all about us. We have to run right at them, and we just have to win.”
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