(Here’s you weekly serving of 9 items on the Falcons at 9 a.m. every Wednesday this season.)
1. The no-spin zone: Falcons running back Bijan Robinson clearly is more comfortable heading into his second season in the NFL.
“Making sure we do the little things right,” Robinson said. “Pittsburgh has a great defense. We don’t want to mess up and make those little mistakes. So, we’ll be firing off on Sunday.”
Robinson looks a little bigger.
“Actually, the same weight, 220 is my weight,” Robinson said. “For me, just continue to maintain it. Just build muscle. Been the same weight for three or four years now. I have a routine, but I just try to keep that 220 stature and I’ll be good.
Robinson felt he had a strong preparation period for the season.
“This (was) a great training camp,” Robinson said. “We worked super hard every day. A lot of reps. Just going back and forth with each other 1s on 2s, 1s on 1s, 2s on 1s. Obviously, it’s been one of those grindy camps, but for us as a team, it doesn’t feel like it was super grindy because we were having so much fun out there.”
All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom noted that Robinson was like the energizer bunny, while talking a lot of reps in the 90-degree heat.
“Coach Raheem (Morris) made every practice competitive,” Robinson said. “Made it fun. Made us just enjoy being out there. We’re out there for two hours, two-and-half hours, but it feels like an hour just because we are getting stuff done efficiently.”
Robinson knows that expectations are high for himself and the team this season. He feels that he’s in a good space heading into the season.
“It’s in the right mindset,” said Robinson when asked his head space going into the season. “The Steelers are going to come in here, ready to go. Locked in, obviously we have to be on the exact same level. My mindset is clear, it’s fresh. I know that God has me in the right mindset for this team. I’m just ready to go out there. … I just want to go out there and play.”
Robinson has been fine with learning the new offense that was being installed by offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and run-game coordinator Dwayne Ledford.
“It’s going to be super exciting,” Robinson said. “A super-exciting offense. That’s obviously the goal. To create space against everybody. Just be attacking. Extremely physical. That’s the main goal. Whether if it’s the run game or the pass game. Make our presence felt.”
The Falcons plan to add to their outside-zone running system as they diversity the rushing attack. The passing attack also will be new and built around quarterback Kirk Cousins’ ability to read defenses and deliver accurate passes.
“It’s going to be a lot of exciting things to look forward to,” Robinson said. “(We’re) trying to go out there and play fast … not having to think. Getting the guys that need to get the ball in their hands, get the ball in their hands early and often, so that we can get out there and execute the right way.”
2. Falcons Five: Falcons wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard said he was fine with the team going into the season with five wide receivers and said those decisions were above his pay grade.
“It’s starts with the guys that we are going to count on heavy, in Drake (London) and (Darnell) Mooney,” Hilliard said. “Attention to detail and it will trickle down to everybody else. We just feel like we have a dynamic group of young men across the five that we have.
Ray-Ray McCloud, KhaDarel Hodge and rookie Casey Washington round out the group.
3. Whitlow’s fellowship: Also, Hilliard had West Georgia assistant coach David Whitlow working with him as a Bill Walsh diversity in coaching fellow during training camp.
“I’m very fond of David,” Hilliard said. “I was the wide receiver coach at Auburn. That was my first opportunity to work with him. So, I have a soft spot in my heart for him. He did an excellent job while he was here. He made a great impression on everybody. Hopefully, he’ll have an NFL job shortly.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
4. Malone makes impact: Outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone made an impact on special teams, and that helped him earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
“Yeah, let’s not even kid ourselves,” Morris said. “You guys got a chance to see what DeAngelo means to this football team on every Friday and Saturday (in the exhibition season) that he went out there and absolutely dominated the kicking phase in games.”
Morris was accused of not putting too much stock in the exhibition games because he didn’t play his starters.
“No, I do just in different areas, and DeAngelo Malone was one of those guys that we talked about that role clarity,” Morris said. “He found a role (and) a niche, and he made it. It was undeniable that you had to find a way to keep him on the football team so he can continue to do that at a very high level.”
5. Simmons on Russell Wilson: Falcons safety Justin Simmons played with quarterback Russell Wilson the past two seasons with the Broncos.
Wilson had 26 touchdowns passes vs. eight interceptions last season. The Falcons quarterbacks had 17 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions.
“Russ is a proven veteran in this league,” Simmons said. “I had the pleasure of being his teammate for the last few years in Denver. I know that he’s going to be prepared. He’s going to be ready.”
Wilson, 35, the nine-time Pro Bowler, is set to enter his 13th season in the NFL. He has a 115-72-1 record as a starter and helped Seattle win Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb. 2, 2014.
“He’s going to have those guys going,” Simmons said. “We have our work cut out for us defensively. ... They’ve got great receivers, great run game, we are going to have to be able to do our thing.”
6. Steelers front seven: The strength of the Steelers team is their defensive front, which features outside linebacker T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and defensive end/tackle Cameron Heyward. Watt led the league with 19 sacks last season.
“We’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us in Week 1,” Lindstrom said. “We have the Steelers, and they one of the best fronts in the NFL.”
The Falcons are trying to snap a streak of six consecutive losing seasons, while the Steelers have not had a losing season since 2003.
7. Series history: The Steelers lead the series 15-2-1. The last time the Falcons beat the Steelers, George W. Bush was the president. The Falcons beat the Steelers 41-38 on Oct. 22, 2006. The Steelers have won the past four meetings.
8. Where to watch, listen, livestream: What you should know about Sunday’s season-opening game between the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8 in 2023) and the Falcons (7-10), which is set for 1 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
TV: Fox 5. Play-by-play: Joe Davis. Analyst: Greg Olsen. Sideline: Pam Oliver, the longest-tenured NFL television reporter, celebrates her 30th Fox NFL season in 2024.
Local radio: 92.9 The Game. Play-by-play: Wes Durham. Analyst: Dave Archer. Executive producer: Beau Morgan. Engineer: Jake Cook. Pregame/Postgame show – Hosts: Chris Goforth and Mike Johnson. Dylan Matthews and Orin Romain (studio producers). Dylan Matthews (network studio producer) and Chris Thomas (local studio producer).
Satellite radio: SiriusXM NFL Radio. Falcons channel 225. Steelers channel 380 and on the APP.
Livestream: Streaming inside the Atlanta market: Fans in the Atlanta market can stream the game on the Atlanta Falcons app. NFL app (subscription required). Out of the country: GamePass International. There are several other subscription services.
9. Depth chart: Here’s a look at the Falcons’ official 53-man depth chart heading into Sunday’s game with the Steelers, which is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I don’t even look at that thing, to be honest,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “There goes your surprises right there.”
The team released the updated depth chart Tuesday.
Morris was asked whether Justin Simmons should be moved up to the No. 1 slot on the depth chart after he said Simmons was a “full-go” after his first full practice. In the last depth chart, Simmons and Matthew Judon, were listed as second-team players.
Both were moved to the first-team for the first time since being acquired late in training camp.
Here’s the depth chart:
OFFENSE
QB: Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr.
RB: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Avery Williams, Jase McClelland
WR: Drake London
WR: Darnell Mooney, Casey Washington
SWR: Ray-Ray McCloud, KhaDarel Hodge
TE: Kyle Pitts
TE: Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley
LT: Jake Matthews, Storm Norton
LG: Matthew Bergeron, Jovaughn Gwyn
C: Drew Dalman, Ryan Neuzil
RG: Chris Lindstrom, Kyle Hinton
RT: Kaleb McGary, Storm Norton
DEFENSE
ROLB: Lorenzo Carter, James Smith-Williams, DeAngelo Malone
DE – Grady Jarrett, Kentavious Street, Eddie Goldman
NT – David Onyemata, Ruke Orhorhoro
DE – Zach Harrison, Ta’Quon Graham, Brandon Dorlus
LOLB – Matthew Judon, Arnold Ebiketie
ILB – Kaden Elliss, JD Bertrand
ILB – Troy Anderson, Nate Landman
LCB -- A.J. Terrell
RCB -- Mike Hughes, Clark Phillips III
NCB – Dee Alford, Antonio Hamilton Sr.
SS -- Justin Simmons, Richie Grant
FS -- Jessie Bates III, Micah Abernathy
Special teams
K -- Younghoe Koo
P -- Bradley Pinion
LS -- Liam McCullough
KR – Avery Williams, Mike Hughes
PR – Avery Williams, Mike Hughes
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