FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons $75,000 and coach Arthur Smith $25,000 for its dealing with of the crew’s damage report earlier than its Week 7 recreation in opposition to Tampa Bay in October.
The league started investigating the Falcons after Bijan Robinson was not listed on the damage report however barely performed within the crew’s 16-13 win over the Buccaneers and instructed reporters after the sport he had been affected by an sickness and complications.
Smith stated Friday “it wasn’t some contentious battle” with the league and that every facet understood the opposite’s perspective on the matter.
“There’s an inquiry and often you need to reply with a letter. It wasn’t like a courtroom case, it wasn’t quite a lot of time spent,” Smith stated. “Right here is how we interpreted it. Right here was our intent. Nothing was completed to attempt to recreation something like that and I understood their perspective.
“So lesson realized there.”
Smith stated they had been clear with the league about their course of and what they did – together with that Robinson did play and that there was a unique utilization charge for him in opposition to Tampa Bay.
Robinson stated after that recreation he started “feeling bizarre” on Saturday evening, did not sleep effectively and wakened Sunday morning “feeling fully out of it.” He went via warmups and was lively for the sport, however barely performed.
“Scenario was good that he’d be obtainable. How a lot, we would simply see how the sport went,” Smith stated in October. “The way in which the sport went, [Cordarrelle Patterson] and Tyler [Allgeier] did a pleasant job, however he requested if he may go.
“I believe he does a great job, particularly within the two-minute stuff and he went on the market and the way it affected the sport, possibly it affected some calls, we’ll by no means know.”
After the sport, Robinson stated his head was nonetheless bothering him. Robinson logged 11 snaps — however solely had one carry, a 3-yard run on the sport’s remaining possession and had no catches and no targets. It was one among two video games, together with final week’s 9-7 loss in opposition to Carolina, the place Robinson logged lower than 10 touches.
Robinson stated the next Wednesday he started feeling higher that Monday and “that it was robust, however I am all good now.” He stated he does not have a historical past of migraine complications and that it popped up randomly. He stated that week he at all times deliberate on taking part in in opposition to the Buccaneers and in a pregame dialog with Smith, they had been “simply making an attempt to really feel it out.”
He stated that Wednesday he did not understand how large of a deal his utilization — or lack thereof — was in opposition to the Buccaneers and that he was making an attempt to do no matter he may to assist the crew together with his one carry.
“That is all I’ll say on that,” Robinson stated in October. “As a result of I do know it was a giant state of affairs from that recreation.”
Robinson stated Friday in Atlanta’s locker room, when instructed of the positive levied in opposition to the franchise and Smith, that he did not wish to become involved.
With Robinson very restricted in opposition to Tampa Bay, Patterson had 10 carries for 56 yards and Allgeier had 21 carries for 59 yards and three catches for 53 yards.