Raheem Morris praises Falcons CB for 'smart play' in Week 6 win

The Atlanta Falcons took a week off from their normal prime-time slot to take care of some NFC South business against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Falcons left Charlotte with a 38-20 win over the Panthers, staying perfect in the division and improving to 4-2 after six weeks.

It wasn’t a great day for Atlanta’s defense, but the players made plays with the game on the line, as they have all season long. Cornerback Clark Phillips III put a bow on the win by recording the team’s second interception of Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton.

Phillips had a clear shot at the end zone but opted to take a knee, which allowed the Falcons to run out the rest of the clock and secure the victory.

“That’s our football team,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said about Phillips’ decision to go down instead of taking the easy pick-six. “That is a heads-up play by a young man. That was a smart play by a young football player and I’m so proud of him.”

Atlanta had two interceptions against Carolina, which proved to be the difference. Plus, the Falcons ran the ball for 200 yards in what was the team’s best game of the year on the ground. Atlanta is 4-2 for the first time since its Super Bowl season in 2016.

Next up for the Falcons is a Week 7 matchup at home against the Seattle Seahawks (3-3). After a 3-0 start, the Seahawks have lost three straight games and now sit 3-3.