The Falcons have been uncharacteristically quiet for a 2-7 team with a coach on the hot seat. Outside of Devonta Freeman’s skirmish with Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, there hasn’t been a lot of drama or division in the locker room.
Thursday night’s controversial finish to the AFC South matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers has possibly overtaken Colin Kaepernick’s workout as the NFL’s biggest story.
Browns DE Myles Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the year for swinging his helmet at Steelers QB Mason Rudolph after the two got tied up on the ground:
Myles Garrett doing the unthinkable and unimaginable. pic.twitter.com/Y0UXzrCskn
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 15, 2019
As reported by Falcons reporter William McFadden, head coach Dan Quinn said he spoke to the team about the incident at Friday’s practice, emphasizing the need for the players to keep their cool during high-intensity division games:
We talked about division games, and they’re more heated for sure. Both teams know each other so well. The term we use sometimes is you’ve got to stare right into the face of temptation, and have that poise to do that at the end, even when it’s really hard.
Atlanta plays NFC South rival Carolina in Week 11, so this message is coming at a perfect time for the team as it tries to build on last week’s win over the Saints.
The Falcons are currently 5.5-point underdogs for Sunday’s road matchup with the Panthers.
[lawrence-related id=41852]
[vertical-gallery id=41462]