How many times have you heard coaches say something along the lines of Our most important game is our next game?
Well, apparently, that hasn't been enough for the Atlanta Falcons...
Bijan Robinson recently spoke with and admitted that his team has fallen victim to looking past their upcoming opponent and has finally adjusted their focus for the 2025 season.
Bijan Robinson says Falcons are finally working for the next week, not the season
Anyone who has watched or played sports knows that the No. 1 rule is to only worry about your next opponent.
That is why hearing Bijan Robinson say the following is so concerning, annoying, and frustrating.
"For us, we're not a team that looks ahead anymore. I think the past couple years, since I've been here, we've always been: 'We have to win the South. We have to win in the playoffs.' And I think, for us, that wasn't a good thing, because we would lose focus on who's in front of us that week. So, I think it's really important for us to just go one week at a time, focus on the team, who we have at hand, what we have at stake, and I think everything else will take care of itself."Bijan Robinson
Fans have been frustrated with this team for nearly a decade now. It has felt like wasted season after wasted season since they made the playoffs in the 2017 season.
That was especially true last year, when the Falcons had a stranglehold on the NFC South, only to see things slip away in the second half of the season.
While it is better to learn this late, rather than never, it does call into question the aptitude of the coaches.
If you aren't teaching and/or realizing that your team is looking too far ahead and not focusing on the task at hand, that is unacceptable.
We saw this last year after the Falcons had just rolled the Cowboys. They traveled to play the faltering New Orleans Saints, and left with a season-defining loss that never should've happened.
Part of that lands on the shoulders of Kirk Cousins, but many other players didn't show up for that game, as it felt like the team was asleep at the wheel.
Nevertheless, the only thing that matters is the future. Hopefully, they have learned their lesson and won't fall victim to this in 2025.