Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has plenty of admirers, but he didn’t give himself quite as high a grade as they do on Wednesday.
Robinson leads the NFL in rushing yards and he’s fourth in yards from scrimmage, but he said on Thursday that he feels like those numbers are not telling the full story of how he is doing on the field this season.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t feel like I’m playing like that right now,” Robinson said during a press conference from Madrid. “I gotta be better. I gotta be better for this team, I gotta be better for the offense.”
Robinson has not scored a touchdown since Week 4 and the Falcons have gone 1-3 during his scoreless streak. That’s hardly the only reason for the team’s lack of success over the last month, but finding the end zone in Spain would be a good way to spark both the team and his own feelings about what he’s bringing to the table.
Falcons Clips
Cornerback DJ Turner’s status took a step in a positive direction on the Bengals’ Thursday practice report.
Turner was listed as a full participant in practice. He was listed as out of practice on Wednesday due to a heel issue, but that upgrade suggests he should be good to go against the Falcons in Madrid this Sunday.
Turner has started all seven games this season. He has 17 tackles, two forced fumbles and five passes defensed.
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (rest) and safety Kyle Dugger (quad) did not participate on Thursday. Safety Jordan Battle (hamstring), defensive tackle B.J. Hill (rest), and defensive end Cedric Johnson (ankle, foot) were limited participants.
Bill Belichick fell short of the necessary votes to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026, but he may have another chance in 2027.
The Hall of Fame announced the five coaches who have advanced to the next round of consideration in the current selection process. One of those coaches will be selected for consideration by the full selection committee ahead of the Super Bowl.
Belichick is joined by Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves, and Mike Shanahan. All five coaches also advanced to this point in the selection process last year. This is the fourth time that Holmgren has advanced to this point.
Don Coryell was the last coach selected for the Hall of Fame. He was part of the Class of 2023.
Playing in Spain on Sunday, the Falcons held a full practice overseas on Thursday after staging a walk-through on Wednesday.
Notably, running back Brian Robinson (hamstring) remained limited on the report.
Robinson is No. 2 on the team with 211 rushing yards, behind league-leader Bijan Robinson, who has 780.
Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) and linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm) were also limited on Thursday.
Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (hamstring), receiver Beaux Collins (hip), and offensive tackle Cameron Williams (ankle) were all full participants.
Receiver Zachariah Branch (hamstring) did not practice as he’s already been ruled out for the Week 9 matchup.
The Falcons held a walkthrough upon arriving in Madrid on Wednesday and they release their estimated practice report for the day after that session came to an end.
Linebacker James Pearce took part in the walkthrough and was listed as a full participant as he moves toward making his 2026 debut. Pearce missed the first eight games while serving a Personal Conduct Policy suspension related to a domestic violence incident earlier this year.
Wide receiver Zachariah Branch (hamstring) was the only player listed as out of practice. The Falcons announced earlier this week that Branch will not play against the Bengals on Sunday. Defensive end Samson Ebukam was also ruled out before being placed on injured reserve on Tuesday.
Linebacker Yasir Abdullah (hamstring), linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm), and running back Brian Robinson (hamstring) were listed as limited participants. Defensive back Billy Bowman (hamstring), wide receiver Beaux Collins (hip), and offensive tackle Cameron Williams (ankle) were listed as full participants.
The Falcons placed defensive end Samson Ebukam on injured reserve Tuesday, the team announced.
Coach Kevin Seiftert already said the Falcons were likely without Ebukam and wide receiver Zachariah Branch this week in Madrid. Both players have a hamstring injury.
Ebukam has totaled 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits this season.
In four seasons with the 49ers (2022-23), Commanders (2025) and Falcons (2026), Jackson has appeared in 28 games and recorded 24 tackles, six sacks, one interception, nine passes defensed, nine quarterback hits and five tackles for loss.
The Falcons also signed defensive end Drake Jackson to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, the club has released offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal from the practice squad.
The Falcons parted ways with a pair of defensive ends on Monday.
They announced that they have waived Jared Ivey and released Drake Jackson. They did not fill either roster spot, but could have defensive ends James Pearce and Yasir Abdullah back this week.
Pearce served an eight-game suspension to open the season while Abdullah has been on the injured reserve list.
Ivey was claimed off of waivers from the Seahawks ahead of the season. He had eight tackles and a sack in seven appearances.
Jackson signed to the practice squad after being released from the Commanders’ injured reserve list in September. He signed to the active roster last month and played in two games for the Falcons.
The Falcons have ruled out a pair of players for this week’s game against the Bengals in Madrid.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said that defensive end Samson Ebukam and wide receiver Zachariah Branch will both miss the game due to hamstring injuries. Stefanski said he does not know if the two players will miss more time.
Ebukam has 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks in seven appearances this season. Branch has 10 catches for 64 yards on offense and he has also served as a punt and kickoff returner.
The Falcons will update the rest of their injuries when they release their first practice report of the week on Wednesday.
The Buccaneers did something today that hadn’t been done in the NFL in more than half a century: They played an entire game without completing a pass.
Amazingly, the Buccaneers beat the Falcons anyway.
Baker Mayfield was 0-for-3 passing, but Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell both had more than 100 yards rushing, and the Buccaneers won 16-0 on a rainy, sloppy day in Tampa Bay.
The last NFL team to play an entire game without completing a pass was the 1974 Bills, who also won when they did it, beating the Jets 16-12 on a day when O.J. Simpson ran for 117 yards.
The Buccaneers were helped by an ugly game from Falcons quarterback Michael Penix, who went 8-for-24 for 125 yards, with no touchdowns and four interceptions. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson struggled to get his footing in the bad weather and finished with 76 yards on 19 carries.
The game leaves both the Buccaneers and the Falcons at 3-5 on the season, and both in the mix in the wide-open NFC South. If the Buccaneers’ defense and running game can keep playing like they did today, the Bucs may be a playoff team. But they’re going to need Mayfield to complete some passes.
On a rainy, windy, sloppy day in Tampa, the Buccaneers have taken a two-possession lead without completing a pass.
The Buccaneers lead the Falcons 9-0, even though quarterback Baker Mayfield is 0-for-9 passing.
That’s because Falcons quarterback Michael Penix has been even worse. His stats are currently 2-for-9 for 24 yards, with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone has two of those interceptions, and the third went to Jacob Parrish.
The Falcons are going to need to find some way to get points on the board in the wet weather. It would help to stop throwing the ball to the other team.
