Falcons’ London laments gun celebration after TD

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Two days after Drake London scored the go-ahead landing on “Monday Evening Soccer” and celebrated by pantomiming taking pictures a gun into the air, the Atlanta Falcons vast receiver mentioned he wasn’t happy with the way it all went down.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a 7-yard landing cross to London with 34 seconds left Monday in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles. The rating put the Falcons even, 21-21, on the street in Philadelphia.

London, after his first MNF landing, mentioned he acquired a little bit carried away within the second. The Falcons had been flagged for a 15-yard penalty, and kicker Younghoe Koo needed to kick a 48-yard further level to present the group the lead, which they held on to for a significant, 22-21 early-season victory.

“It is a pattern round soccer proper now to try this kind of celebration,” London informed ESPN. “It was my first ‘Monday Evening Soccer’ recreation. I sort of misplaced myself in there. I wasn’t proud of the place I put my group in.”

On high of that, London mentioned he regretted the celebration due to the gun reference. The Falcons hosted the Apalachee (Georgia) Excessive Faculty soccer group at their follow facility final week, simply days after the deadly taking pictures there. The college is about 25 miles from Falcons headquarters.

“There’s plenty of stuff going round on the earth with gun violence that I do not suppose I ought to have displayed there,” London mentioned. “So, I am not too proud of it, and [you] most likely will not see that once more from me.”

Falcons coach Raheem Morris mentioned London apologized for the scenario after the sport. He mentioned the group is “delicate,” given the local weather within the nation, particularly close to residence.

The Drake transfer “was a celebration that you do not wish to have occur due to the violence that goes on in our nation that we’re very delicate of,” Morris mentioned. “However he had no ailing will and no intent. And that is a mistake by all of us, on all of our components, to have these issues come out in mild of what is going on on in our nation, and never being delicate to these conditions that we undoubtedly are. We hosted the college that had the violence right here, and we’re actually delicate about all of these issues and the way these issues occur for us. And we do care.

“And that was simply Drake having enjoyable along with his fan base and his individuals up within the stands, and you do not actually take into consideration these issues in the meanwhile.”

The Falcons wore Apalachee Excessive Faculty T-shirts throughout warmups earlier than their Week 1 recreation in opposition to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Some gamers had been nonetheless carrying them Wednesday within the locker room.

“Our recreation is a factor that helps deliver this stuff again and make issues higher,” Morris mentioned. “So, you definitely do not wish to shine the sunshine or something that is going [on] like that, though you did not have the intent. And I do know that none of us had the intent. I do know for positive Drake didn’t.”