The Atlanta Falcons heard exactly what their fans thought of Sunday’s performance long before the final whistle.
Boos rained down inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Carolina Panthers turned Atlanta’s home opener into a 34-3 rout, dropping the Falcons to 0-2. Afterward, at least one Atlanta captain made clear he understood the reaction.
Sports Radio 92.9 The Game’s Garrett Chapman relayed linebacker Divine Deablo’s blunt response when asked about the fans booing.
“I don’t blame them.”
The frustration was understandable after Atlanta turned the ball over five times, failed to score a touchdown and never ran a single play in the red zone.
Divine Deablo Doesn’t Blame Falcons Fans for Boos
The reaction inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium became part of the story well before the game ended.
The Nest ATL’s Miles Garrett wrote during the game that he had “never heard boos this loud at Mercedes-Benz Stadium” during his time on the beat.
Atlanta gave the crowd few reasons to stop.
Cooper Rush fumbled on the Falcons’ first offensive play and later threw two interceptions before being replaced by rookie Jack Strand. Strand’s first NFL pass was tipped, intercepted by Devin Lloyd and returned for a touchdown that pushed Carolina’s lead to 34-3.
Rush finished 10-of-17 passing for 86 yards. Strand completed 8 of 15 attempts for 59 yards and an interception.
The Falcons finished with 293 total yards, but five turnovers repeatedly erased any chance of building momentum. Atlanta’s only points came on Nick Folk’s 41-yard field goal late in the second quarter.
Bijan Robinson still produced 81 yards from scrimmage, including 72 rushing yards on 16 carries, but even one of Atlanta’s offensive leaders admitted the performance wasn’t close to acceptable.
Bijan Robinson Responds to Falcons Fans Booing
FalconsSI’s Darius Hayes relayed Robinson’s response when asked about hearing the crowd turn on Atlanta.
“I love our fans, man, like, a lot. Every single one of them,” Robinson said. “But you know, if we let ourselves focus on stuff like that, then it’ll creep in our mind and that’ll make us have a bad performance.”
Robinson didn’t push the blame back on the fans.
AtlantaFalcons.com’s Tori McElhaney reported that Robinson said the responsibility belonged to the team after a performance he doesn’t want repeated.
“For us, we have to watch that film and tell ourselves that we can never put that type of play on film again. It’s only going to lose us games. …
“It’s on us, and we can’t feel bad for ourselves because, really, nobody else cares. They don’t feel bad for us. It’s on us as an offensive unit, as a team to not put that showing on the field again.”
McElhaney also reported Robinson’s message from the locker room immediately after the loss.
“It’s our job to go out there and execute so we don’t hear that again.”
Atlanta’s offensive problems now extend beyond one ugly afternoon.
The Falcons have scored 16 points through two games and, according to PFF, remain the NFL’s only team that has not run a red-zone play this season. Every other team had recorded at least three entering the later Sunday games.
Atlanta has only four days to regroup before visiting the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
The boos made clear how quickly patience is disappearing.
Deablo didn’t argue with them. Robinson didn’t either.
Both essentially pointed the responsibility back where Sunday’s scoreboard suggested it belonged: on the Falcons.
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Sends Clear Message After Fans Rain Down Boos