Bijan Robinson says Falcons are 'not a team that looks ahead anymore' after coming up short in recent years

While the 2024 season was a disappointing one for the Atlanta Falcons, the team has apparently taken something from that experience that they hope will lead to a more successful 2025 season. 

This time last year, many prognosticators were picking the Falcons to dethrone the Buccaneers as the NFC South champs. But Atlanta wilted down the stretch after a 6-3 start and finished with an 8-9 record. That experience served as a lesson for the Falcons and, specifically, Pro Bowl running back Bijan Robinson, who revealed that he and his teammates have a new mindset entering this season.

"For us, we're not a team that looks ahead anymore," Robinson said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. "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." 

It brings to mind the famous Nelson Mandela quote: "I never lose. I either win or learn." While the Falcons didn't meet expectations last year, they clearly learned something amid said disappointment that could lead to better days for Robinson and his teammates. 

On paper, the Falcons once again have a team that should be good enough to contend for either the NFC South title or at the least a wild card spot in the playoffs. 

Offensively, the Falcons have talented group of young and ascending skill players, led by Robinson (who amassed 1,887 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns last season), receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney, tight end Kyle Pitts and second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is entering his first full season as Atlanta's starting quarterback. 

Defensively, Atlanta used the draft to bolster a unit that was No. 23 in the NFL last year in points allowed. They used their first two picks to acquire pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. before using their next two picks on defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. The Falcons also acquired veteran pass rusher Leonard Floyd during free agency. 

While they once again look good on paper, Robinson and the Falcons aren't getting ahead of themselves. Instead, they're focusing on what's directly ahead of them, starting with their Week 1 showdown against the four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers. 

Robinson, who finished third in the NFL in rushing last season behind only Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, will spend part of his last weekend before the regular season starts watching his alma mater Texas take on Ohio State in what has been one of the highest anticipated opening-season games in college football history. Robinson, who offered some pregame advice to Texas quarterback Arch Manning, is taking part in College Colors Day while encouraging fans to unleash their alter ego. 

"I think for him, it's really important to tune out everybody around him," Robinson said of Manning. "[Tune out] the stadium. Just focus on the field, on what he has to do, the coaching, the coaching points and the adjustments, everything. When he can focus on that and put his mindset on that, then everything else will take care of itself."