Falcons 29, Buccaneers 28
Q. ...the resiliency, to go down 14 points and have to overcome 18 penalties to win this game.
RAHEEM MORRIS: You know, these guys, they're fighters, man, and went out there and went into halftime and talked about what we need to do. Went out there and was able to execute. Got down early. Watched the guys go out there and fight, overcome a couple dropped passes and overcome a couple things, overcome a couple touchdowns.
Now we got to keep playing. We will go clean up the penalties and do whatever it is we need to do, whatever it is. I was so proud of the fight, so proud of the guys, the toughness, led by their leaders: Kyle Pitts showing up in a major way. Bijan Robinson and our defense standing up when necessary, and then finishing off with special teams right there.
Q. How about Kirk's play? Couple penalties and still then were able to come a long down and distance and get him the field goal.
RAHEEM MORRIS: He was tough all night. Obviously third down has been our Achilles' heel for most the of second half of the season, back portion. So to watch the guys be able to go out there and convert and do some really positive things with the ball and move us down the field to put us in field position, Kirk was absolutely phenomenal. Put the ball in the right spot. Gave people opportunities. Made some plays when he had to make plays. Stood amongst the pressure. Got us directed in the right way. Did all the right things, all the things you could possibly do as a player. I'm extremely proud of him.
Q. Is this a cathartic win for you? Saw you on the Amazon camera at the end there. What were your emotions there?
RAHEEM MORRIS: That was a penalty thing, telling them to call that one. Just let them know that, and went about our business. Didn't really know which camera it was. Just happened to be close.
Q. Does it feel cathartic to you to get this win?
RAHEEM MORRIS: No. Not -- no. It's a steppingstone to where we want to go. We talked about this, building blocks for what we got to do. What we're talking about is next year. Bijan talked about it with our team. We been talking about it throughout the whole process.
We got a lot of right things that we like, a lot of things that we love, and it's our job to go out there and prove to our fans that we can do it. Only thing we can do right now is finish.
Q. What was the thinking going for the two point conversion after that first...
RAHEEM MORRIS: Obviously wanted to get the two-point conversion right there so when you score we're kicking it to walk off on the extra point; didn't get it. Obviously put ourself in position to have to get the two; didn't get the two.
Then obviously put ourself in the position to go out there and play some really good four-minute defense, get the ball back for our offense, set us up for the field goal for the win -- walk off extra point, excuse me.
Q. At what point did you know Kyle Pitts was having himself a game tonight?
RAHEEM MORRIS: It was the plan, you know, all along. Kyle is our guy. You're down a couple of your guys like Drake, some of those guys and Kyle has really filled in that role and become the lead dog guy.
He has done an awesome job, and tonight we talked about some the plays he didn't make even when he had some of these good games over the last couple weeks, but he made those plays tonight. He showed up in a major way. That was a big time play by him. Stuff that we expect.
Q. How did (indiscernible) get that fumble?
RAHEEM MORRIS: Effort. Effort and we talk about covering from our offensive line. Run down the field and do the things that's required, and then to watch him be able to go do those things and get the ball back for his football team, we talked about earlier within the -- before the game about playing for each other. That is the absolute definition of playing for each other when you run down the field and recover a fumble like that and get the ball back.
Continues to give us a chance.
Q. The Alford pick and Sills catch on third down sideline, seemed to fit in the bucket of guys who just might play not necessarily...
RAHEEM MORRIS: We put some people in those moments, and those people in those moments had to make those plays and they went out there and made them today.
Obviously been talking about finding a way. That's finding a way. You go out and get a pick from Alford, get the play from Sills at the end of the game and put yourself in position to kick the field goal. Zane goes out and nails it and you walk off and get out of dodge.
Q. (Regarding Pitts' touchdown.)
RAHEEM MORRIS: Yeah, what kind of question is that? Go ask Todd Bowels that question, man.
Q. (Regarding conversations with the officials.)
RAHEEM MORRIS: Yeah, we were talking about that the whole time.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
RAHEEM MORRIS: You know, obviously got a lot of confidence manage Zane. We've shown that throughout the course of the season since he's been playing with us. Being able to send him out there for whatever the kick is, whatever the distance is. I think we've shown that for a while here. Showed us lot confidence being able to go out there and make those kicks.
It was a little ease when we actually went out there to kick that field goal.
Q. What did you do to slow down Evans (regarding the key to play through some tough plays.
RAHEEM MORRIS: Mike Evans is one of the best to play this game. I don't know if you ever can say you slowed down Mike Evans edges. He's a dog. We went out there and competed at a very high level. We made some plays and he made some plays. That was it. Nothing magical about it.
Q. (No microphone.)
RAHEEM MORRIS: You know, it's a division rival, right, division team. They've owned the division over the last couple years, so really just going out, playing against a very good football team, really being about us. For our guys having to go out there and be able to compete at a very high level I think is something that we want to be able to show and do for all of us. We went out there and did that today.
Q. (Indiscernible.)
RAHEEM MORRIS: It's not about me, man. It's about the guys in the locker room, guys being together. It's about the guys that put on the pads and the uniform and go out there and play for each other every single week. This is a people-first organization. It's a we-not-me mentality. Those guys went out there and did it together.
Q. (Regarding Bijan.) How do you see him respond tonight?
RAHEEM MORRIS: He's a dog, man. Best player in the NFL. Sorry you guys won't get a chance to watch him in the postseason. It is what it is. When you put yourself in these positions and got to go out there and play football, things are going to happen. We got a lot of confidence in Bijan to be out there and carry the ball for us.
A lot of time he's carrying everybody's livelihood on his back. He's going to make mistakes, and we got make up for them and do the things that the team did tonight.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports