Falcons delete self-own social-media post
The Falcons (and specifically owner Arthur Blank) aren't fans of reminders of their failure to turn a massive third-quarter lead into a Super Bowl LI win. Usually, it's someone else who reminds the team and/or its fans of the 28-3 futility.
This time around, the Falcons did it to themselves.
Via John Breech of CBSSports.com, the team posted a photo on Twitter of safety Jessie Bates (No. 3) and cornerback Mike Ford (No. 28). The image was quickly deleted.
Arguably, the Falcons should have left it alone. First, the players were configured 3 and 28, not 28 and 3. Second, deleting it makes it a bigger deal.
As evidenced by the fact that it became a PFT item. If they hadn't deleted it, we probably wouldn't have decided it was worth a post.
Meanwhile, the fact they so quickly deleted the image shows that, more than eight years later, they're still as sensitive about 28-3 as ever.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Why Drake London could lead the NFL in catches
Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice, fantasy analyst Matt Harmon and NFL writer Charles McDonald discuss the Falcons wide receiver's skill set, what makes him among the best in the league and why he could be in for a monster 2025 season. Hear the full conversation on 'Football 301' - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript I'm gonna actually start with my London discussion. Advertisement Uh, Matt, you had him at #9. I am at number 7, but why bullish on Drake London and Charles, you said he lost the coin flip to bake the 10th spot, I believe. So we'll call it the de facto number 11. Uh, but Drake London, Matt, why are you bullsh on him in 2025? I know you are a fan, but I want to hear, I want to hear more. Man, fantastic player. Um, you can throw him out there ex receiver and he has the press coverage ability and the ball skills to win there, even if he's not the fastest guy in a straight line. He is so fluid underneath to beat pressman coverage, but this new Falcon staff last year did a great job like moving him around the formation, putting him in the slot, getting him off the line of scrimmage, and he just truly became like another tier of a weapon better because of that. Advertisement Um, just when yeah, whenever he was inside, like. Just hit him on an end breaker again and again and again and again. Um, I think he could, he could be a candidate to lead the NFL and catches, uh, if Michael Penix is, is the guy. And I think Pennick probably stylistically is just not gonna lead to that type of, uh, that type of efficiency from his wide receiver, one in terms of Leading the NFL in catches. But I think what we saw with Pennick when he was under center in the final three games, like, he's gonna unlock that area of Drake London's game where he's so good along the boundary. He's so good on these like deep, deep outbreakers. Advertisement So, um, and he catches up, he sneaks up on you after the catch. So yeah, I think Drake London's been playing. At a level where he's like kind of knocking on that door of a top 10 receiver, and I think this is the year like consensus wise, he absolutely smashes through it. I, I've been a fan of London since he came out and been a fan of him with whoever's calling plays there, even in the Arthur Smith offense and everything, he catches everything, and, and I just think that. Yes, he's not this deep thread, he's not gonna take every throw to every catch to the house, but at his game, his box that he plays in, he's elite, like he is top tier ball skills, top tier contested catch guy, and it's not, again, it's not theory, he's doing it week in week out.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
ESPN lays out four potential trade scenarios for Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
ESPN lays out four potential trade scenarios for Falcons QB Kirk Cousins ESPN breaks down what a potential Kirk Cousins trade could look like The Atlanta Falcons may have the best backup quarterback in the league on their bench. Veteran Kirk Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract last offseason but was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. Since the Falcons are giving Penix the keys to the offense, trading Cousins would be best for all parties involved. Now that the June 1 deadline has passed, Atlanta could move Cousins without devastating financial ramifications. The question is whether or not another team would actually pay the veteran quarterback's $27.5 million salary for the 2025 season. ESPN's Dan Graziano, Jeremy Fowler, Ben Solak and Seth Walder pitched hypothetical trade scenarios for the Falcons to move Cousins. Let's take a look at all four theoretical trades below. Trade 1 (Fowler): Falcons-Browns Fowler's trade has the Falcons sending Cousins and a seventh-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for quarterback Kenny Pickett and a sixth-round pick. Cleveland currently has Joe Flacco, rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders and Pickett competing for the QB1 spot with Deshaun Watson out (Achilles). The Falcons could strike a deal where they front $17.5 million of Cousins' guaranteed money for 2025, and Pickett would be Atlanta's new QB2. -- Jeremy Fowler Trade 2 (Graziano): Falcons-Vikings Graziano's proposed trade sends Cousins back to Minnesota in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round pick, a seventh-round selection in 2027 and cash considerations ($10 milllion). Well, it makes sense for all three sides, really, counting Cousins himself. He wants a chance to start and could use his no-trade clause to nix a deal to any place he doesn't want to go. But if he has to be a backup, we know he liked living in Minnesota and playing for the Vikings. -- Dan Graziano Trade 3 (Solak): Falcons-Steelers Ben Solak's trade proposal sends Cousins to the Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick and cash considerations. With Pittsburgh still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, Cousins may start to look like a more appealing, less dramatic option at quarterback. Cousins is a good fit for coordinator Arthur Smith's offense, which doesn't need its quarterback to move much out of the pocket. This late of a draft pick is close to Cousins' value, and I'd imagine the Falcons are still willing to swallow $20 million -- maybe even more -- of his salary to get this deal done. -- Ben Solak Trade 4 (Walder): Falcons-Vikings In the second proposed trade with the Vikings, the Falcons would send Cousins to Minnesota for quarterback Sam Howell and cash considerations. Howell was acquired by the Vikings during the 2025 NFL draft in a trade with the Seahawks. The key to the compensation for a Cousins deal is how much of his guaranteed money the acquiring team will take on. I'll raise Dan's offer and say the Vikings pay $12 million of it. This would allow Atlanta to save a little face and get out of the situation with a different backup quarterback. -- Seth Walder All four offers have upside, and it makes sense that Atlanta would seek a backup-caliber quarterback to replace Cousins. The team signed Easton Stick in free agency, but he has limited starting experience. If the Falcons could land Pickett or Howell, while shedding Cousins and some cash, it would be a major win for the team.
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson: I want more 'explosive' plays next season
Bijan Robinson is the heart and soul of the Atlanta Falcons offense, but the star running back wants more. "We're done with 30-yard runs and all that stuff. Now it's time to get those 60 yards, 50 yards. So, I've been doing a lot more explosive drills," Robinson said on Tuesday, according to the Falcons' team website. "I've been doing a lot more running — 100 yards, like sprinting — so we can be prepared for, God willing, when those moments come in all the games." Robinson is coming off a potent 2024 campaign. The then-second-year back rushed for 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry, while also totaling 61 receptions for 431 yards and one score. Robinson ranked second among running backs in both overall grade (92.8) and rushing grade (92.8) and fourth in receiving grade (82.2), according to Pro Football Focus. That said, Robinson has seldom ripped off chunk plays, as he alluded to. Even in a 2024 season that saw him earn a Pro Bowl honor, Robinson had just five carries of 20-plus yards and zero carries of 40-plus yards. For perspective, star running backs Derrick Henry (19), Saquon Barkley (17), Jahmyr Gibbs (13) and Jonathan Taylor (11) had a double-digit number of 20-plus-yard rushes, while Barkley had seven carries for 40-plus yards and Henry had five carries for 20-plus yards. In his 2023 rookie campaign, Robinson rushed for 976 yards and four touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry. Robinson's production shot up in 2024 due to increased usage, as he had just 214 carries in 2023 compared to 304 carries in 2024; fellow Falcons back Tyler Allgeier had 186 carries in 2023, compared to 137 carries last season. Atlanta selected Robinson with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Texas. In his freshman season (2020), Robinson led the Big 12 with 8.2 yards per carry. Two seasons later (2022), he rushed for a conference-high with both 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry. "I work on it every single day," Robinson, who asserted that he can break defenders down "two at a time," said about pulling off explosive plays. "Obviously, the explosives, we always want them. We've added so many things to this offense so we can create more explosives. And, for me, sometimes it's that one defender, but now that's all. That's what I've been working on all offseason, just seeing that free hitter and making moves off him." Last year, Barkley became the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season, totaling 2,005 yards on the ground in 16 regular-season games for the Philadelphia Eagles. Does Robinson have that feat in him? "We all want it. We're all waiting for that Saquon type of season when it comes to explosives," Robinson said. "But I've been working on it a lot this offseason. And, obviously, when it gets to the season, it's time to go show it and go do the work the right way." Robinson and the Falcons open the 2025 regular season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 7 (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League Atlanta Falcons Bijan Robinson recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
