Falcons’ Stefanski ‘passes vibe check,’ encouraged celebratory field storm

The moment Goodson crossed the goal line, the Falcons’ bench emptied.

Star running back Bijan Robinson and receiver Drake London mobbed Goodson. So, too, did quarterback Michael Penix Jr., guard Matthew Bergeron, tight end Charlie Woerner, safety Jessie Bates III, cornerbacks A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes and several others.

It wasn’t just because Goodson scored against the team he spent the past three years with, or that his run may have significantly helped his roster odds. It was a command — a directive — from coach Kevin Stefanski.

During a team meeting Friday night, Stefanski told the Falcons he wanted everybody to rush the field when they scored their first touchdown. A 15-yard penalty followed, but kicker Nick Folk nailed a 48-yard extra point to negate any consequences.

Stefanski enjoyed watching his vision come to life late in the first quarter.

“I said I would allow for one excessive celebration, but just one,” Stefanski said postgame. “So, they took me up on my offer.”

Goodson, a Suwanee, Ga., native, played three years at Iowa and is entering his fifth NFL season. He said he’s never had a coach give such a message — one that willingly opens the door to a penalty — to his team.

“He was just like, ‘It’s on me. I’ll take it to the chin,’” Goodson said. “Kudos to coach Stefanski. He just wants the camaraderie and the team just to be together. So, kudos to him. It brings the team together at the end of the day.

“Definitely passes the vibe check. Players’ coach. We love him.”

Stefanski said the Falcons felt there were opportunities to create explosive plays in the run game. If the Falcons “got hatted up,” or correctly handled their blocks, Stefanski believed there were creases.

On Goodson’s touchdown, Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees called an outside zone run play.

The Falcons’ second-team offensive line — consisting of left tackle Michael Jerrell, left guard Kyle Hinton, center Corey Levin, right guard Kam Dewberry and right tackle Ethan Onianwa — did the rest.

Jerrell sealed the lane. Hinton shoved a blitzing Colts defender into the turf. Levin guided a defensive tackle out of the gap. Dewberry climbed to the second level and cut off one defender trying to flow to the ball. Onianwa sustained his block and prevented his matchup from disengaging.

Goodson and his teammates reaped the reward, but only after an assignment-sound rep from the Falcons’ offensive line after Stefanski challenged them earlier this week.

“Everyone just did their job,” Onianwa told the AJC postgame. “It just comes down to doing your job and everyone has to be on the same page for things to work.”

Goodson took the handoff headed left, saw a crease, stuck his foot in the ground and didn’t stop running until he found pay dirt.

“Really, all I had to do was just run straight,” Goodson said. “I got to the second level and just took care of it from there. The safety was flat-footed, and I just put one foot in the ground, ran around him and got to the end zone.”

For Goodson, who’s competing for a spot on the Falcons’ roster as the No. 3 running back, such a moment was significant professionally. But it also mattered personally.

In 33 games across three years with the Colts, Goodson said he can count on one hand how many touchdowns he scored in Lucas Oil Stadium. Buried behind three-time Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor, Goodson rushed only 54 times in a regular season setting.

Thus, Goodson’s mindset became rooted in taking advantage of opportunities. He hoped to make plays on special teams and capitalize on the few touches he’d get from time to time.

Saturday afternoon — and the chance to be the Falcons’ lead back in their second preseason affair — invoked a similar approach. Goodson finished with six carries for a team-high 59 yards and the game’s biggest highlight.

Goodson also gave the Falcons the moment they so desperately desired entering the week. Stefanski wanted to create more energy and chemistry within his team, which has a similar number of new faces as returners from last year.

The Falcons’ 28-point win Saturday matters little in the broader picture. The 60 minutes of game tape will help them evaluate their 53-man roster, as will the two joint practices they shared this week in Indianapolis.

But perhaps nothing made the trip more worthwhile than the 30-second pandemonium that broke loose in Lucas Oil Stadium’s south end zone, when the Falcons listened to Stefanski’s rare request and made a lasting memory.

“It was just an amazing feeling,” Goodson said, “to be able to see all the guys celebrate with each other and celebrate that moment.”