Deuce McAllister's win-sealing touchdown run is the Saints Play of the Day
You can see it for yourself right here. McAllister took a pitch to the left and fought through contact to break into the open field, and at that point it became a footrace. Seeing McAllister outpace the defenders chasing him the closer he got to the end zone is just impressive. You'd expect to see that gap tighten up, but McAllister proved to be too fast for them. Who knew the first-year pro had wheels like that?
Funny enough, this wasn't McAllister's first touchdown of the day. He threw a 12-yard touchdown pass early on to wide receiver Willie Jackson on a trick play, tying up the score at 7-7. So it's fitting that he put the game away himself in the final minutes, lengthening New Orleans' lead to 28-10 and becoming just the fourth non-quarterback in team history to score a touchdown as both a rusher and a passer in the same game.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Falcons training camp: Kyle Pitts ignores ‘rat poison,' Michael Penix Jr. expects big things
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — It took one practice of the Atlanta Falcons' 2025 season for the Kyle Pitts Sr. storyline to bubble back up to the surface. The fifth-year tight end was quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s favorite target in a brief session of 11-on-11 work to start training camp on Thursday morning, and the second-year quarterback wanted to make sure everybody noticed. Advertisement 'See we got KP the ball a lot today?' Penix said as he prepared to talk to the media after the practice. 'Gonna be a lot of that.' That's what every Falcons fan keeps hoping, but it's been a while since it actually happened. In the three years since Pitts had 68 catches for 1,026 yards as a rookie, he has totaled 128 catches for 1,623 yards. The fourth pick of the 2021 draft was fifth on the team last season in catches with 47 for 602 yards. 'Everybody wants him to duplicate his rookie season,' coach Raheem Morris said. 'I think Kyle just has to go out there and be the best version of himself.' Penix, who played golf with Pitts multiple times in the offseason, said he believes that will happen this year. 'He's been working hard. He's had a great summer,' the quarterback said. 'He said he's feeling really good coming into camp, and I can see it. He's running very good and catching the ball very good as well.' MP 🔁 KP@themikepenix x @kylepitts__ — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 24, 2025 Along with playing golf with Penix, Pitts' offseason consisted of swimming lessons with his young son, Kyle Pitts Jr., and studiously not paying attention to anything written about him in the media or on social media, he said Thursday. 'I don't read that rat poison,' he said. 'I don't get on Twitter and listen to the bots. Obviously, you're human, but I don't read into that. I learned that in college. I know who I am and I know the player I am, so I don't pay too much attention to it.' Pitts declined to discuss the specifics of the injury that kept him off the field during OTAs in the spring but pronounced himself healthy. His practice plan will be 'modified' early in training camp to allow him to acclimate back to practice, Morris said, but Pitts appeared to be a full participant Thursday. Advertisement 'I'm feeling great,' he said. 'I was just working through different things (during OTAs).' Pitts will be playing on the final year of his contract this season, making $10.9 million on a fifth-year extension triggered by the team. The 24-year-old said he hasn't started thinking about his second professional contract. 'We will figure that out at the end,' he said. 'This is the first day of camp.' Here are five more observations from the Falcons' opening day of camp. Right tackle Kaleb McGary also has a modified early practice plan after missing OTAs because of an offseason arthroscopic procedure to remove bone spurs from his ankle. 'I don't know if I've had a joint feel as good in a long time,' McGary said. McGary was on the field Thursday but sat out some reps with the first team as the Falcons worked Storm Norton at right tackle as part of McGary's acclimation process. McGary, who has started 92 games in six seasons in Atlanta, is in the final year of his second contract with the team, making $16.5 million. He's open to another contract with the Falcons 'anytime they want to pay me,' he said. 'You will never find somebody more willing to be paid in all your life, trust me,' he said, 'but honestly, I'm not really worried about it. If I don't do my job well enough, there's not much reason to worry about it. One thing at a time.' Linebacker Troy Andersen (knee) will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, Morris said. The PUP list doesn't come with a defined time designation, so Andersen could be added back to the regular roster whenever his health allows. 'He is on track,' Morris said. 'He's doing really well. He's in great spirits.' Andersen has been limited to nine games in the last two years because of injury. Advertisement Penix isn't being shy about his expectations for the offense. 'The potential? We should be the best in the league,' he said Thursday. 'We should be unstoppable. That's our goal. We want to be No. 1 in all the categories on the offensive side of the ball.' Last year, the Falcons finished 13th in scoring (22.9 ppg), eighth in yards per play (5.8) and ninth in offensive success rate (49 percent). Running back Bijan Robinson has changed his mindset about preseason football, he said this week. 'I am very realistic,' he said. 'My first year, I was like, 'Playoffs,' now I know we have to focus on the little things first. This is the NFL. It can go either way.' The Falcons haven't made the playoffs since the 2017 season. 'We have to actually do it. No more talk. Talk doesn't help anything,' Robinson said. 'If we just put our heads down and work hard, we have the pieces we need for a great season. Now it's time to come together so we can do it.' .@Bijan5Robinson bringing the jukes ⛽️ — Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 24, 2025 It was tough to get much of a read on the defensive depth chart Thursday as Atlanta juggled extensively on that side of the ball, but rookie defensive back Billy Bowman got plenty of work at nickel cornerback and Khalid Kareem got a somewhat surprising amount of work with the reserve edge rushers. Rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. also were on the field a lot, but Morris said it will be impossible to start defining roles on defense until after the team begins practicing in pads on Tuesday. Penix, whose accuracy was an issue in his three starts last season, looked mostly sharp but not entirely. Penix threw a beautiful deep pass to Darnell Mooney on one pass but missed Ray-Ray McCloud high in the flat on another. (Top photo of Michael Penix Jr.: Dale Zanine / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
5 takeaways from Day 1 of Atlanta Falcons training camp
The Atlanta Falcons returned to the field on Thursday morning for their first official training camp practice. Overall, the team kept things light on Day 1 to help the players get acclimated. Head coach Raheem Morris provided injury updates on Troy Andersen and Bralen Trice before practice began, while giving some insight into the team's preseason plans. Unlike last year, Michael Penix Jr. entered camp as the starting quarterback ahead of Kirk Cousins. Penix made sure to feed the ball to Pitts, who shined on Day 1. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney fell hard early in practice and was replaced by Chris Blair. We've rounded up five takeaways from the Falcons' first official training camp practice below. Linebacker Troy Andersen placed on PUP list Andersen's chance to seize the other starting inside linebacker job next to Kaden Elliss took a major hit on Thursday. Morris told reporters that Andersen (knee) was placed physically unable to perform (PUP) list to begin training camp. The former second-round pick has struggled to stay healthy over his first three seasons. With Andersen sidelined, Divine Deablo is in line to start this season. The team signed Deablo to a two-year deal in free agency, and it appears to be money well spent. LB Bralen Trice is back After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury, Trice is healthy and looking to make an impact. The former Washington standout joined his former teammate, Michael Penix Jr., in his first live action since 2024. Head coach Raheem Morris was enthusiastic about Trice's return to the practice field: "I was so fired up about Bralen last year," said Morris. "I am again this year." Kyle Pitts looking good early After missing the team's previous offseason activities due to a foot injury, Pitts was back at it on Thursday morning. The former top-five pick was a favorite target of Penix on Day 1. While fans are hesitant to get excited about Pitts due to his lack of production in 2024, the fifth-year tight end is proving to me a matchup problem at camp yet again. Penix made it clear Pitts will be a big part of the offense. 'See we got Kyle Pitts the ball today? Gonna be a lot of that,' Penix told reporters after practice. Darnell Mooney banged up, exits practice Per team reporter Tori McElhaney, wide receiver Darnell Mooney "took a pretty hard fall after a deep ball from Penix." Mooney, who finished just shy of 1,000 receiving yards last season, was replaced by Chris Blair following his injury. It's possible the Falcons were just being cautious with Mooney, but the situation is worth keeping an eye on going forward. Morris on preseason plan for starters, first fully padded practice Morris gave some updates on the team's plans for training camp and the preseason. The Falcons will hold their first fully padded practice on Tuesday, allowing players to get acclimated for the first few days. As for the preseason, Morris didn't give a concrete answer on his plan for playing starters but indicated the team would take a similar approach to one they used last year. Atlanta was fairly cautious with its starters in 2024, so expect the same this time around. This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of training camp
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Falcons wide receiver signs with Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have signed former Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Phillip Dorsett to their roster just in time for the start of NFL training camp. Dorsett, a former first-round draft pick, spent last season on the Falcons' practice squad and did not appear in a single game. After initially signing a reserve/futures contract with Atlanta over the offseason, Dorsett was released by the team in May to make room for linebacker Caleb Johnson. A former Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, Dorsett joins a revamped Raiders team led by former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. It will be the veteran wide receiver's second stint with the Raiders, and second time playing for Carroll. Dorsett, 32, has played for eight different teams since being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. His best season came in 2016 when he recorded 33 catches for 528 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons did not select a wide receiver in the 2025 NFL draft, but they signed former San Jose State wideout Nick Nash as an undrafted free agent. Nash recorded 1,382 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns during his final collegiate season. Atlanta's rookies and veterans reported to training camp on Wednesday and the team's first official practice is set for Thursday morning. Check out the Falcons' updated 90-man roster and open practice schedule for training camp. This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Phillip Dorsett signs with Las Vegas Raiders
