Devonta Freeman can’t escape the Super Bowl LI loss, especially on social media

Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman hasn’t had an easy time getting over that Super Bowl LI loss. People on social media don’t want to let him forget about it, either.

Freeman said he can’t control what they say, and he doesn’t respond. But that hasn’t stopped folks from reminding him about that blown 25-point lead:

Part of moving past that loss for Freeman will be making opposing defenders pay for trying to stop him on the field. He’s preparing for that by making sure he gets his mind and body right for the coming season.

“Mentally, you know you’ve got to get over the Super Bowl,” Freeman said. “But physically, just getting my body in tip-top shape, come back bigger, faster and stronger. And also my eating … trying to change that. And just working.”

Putting the Super Bowl behind them hasn’t been an easy task for any Falcons players. Head coach Dan Quinn has set the tone by encouraging players to “embrace the suck” and “eat a crap sandwich with a smile,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Jeff Schultz.

Freeman said that moving past the loss, in which the Falcons blew a 25-point lead to let the Patriots win in overtime, takes time.

“It’s just one of those scars that you remember forever, and you’ve just got to move on,” Freeman said. “You can’t be salty and negative about it for the rest of your life. You’ve just got to ask how can I get better and get back there and take advantage of it. That’s all.”

While Freeman finished the season with 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and 462 receiving yards and two more touchdowns through the air, he isn’t satisfied.

“Last year, I left some runs out there,” Freeman said. “Also in the open field, continue to make guys miss, punishing guys. I just want to be real disrespectful this year when it comes to football.”

“I feel like I haven’t even hit my prime yet. I’m a young running back in the league. I can get so much better.”

No matter how disappointing the Falcons’ Super Bowl loss was following last season, Freeman said it’s not all bad if the team learns to improve from it.

In that game, Freeman had 75 rushing yards and a touchdown, but offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan didn’t call his number in crunch time when the Falcons were clinging to an eight-point lead and in field-goal range in the fourth quarter. He also had a key missed block against Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower that resulted in a sack and forced fumble on quarterback Matt Ryan.

Freeman said he could watch every play from the Super Bowl 10 times, and even for the good plays, he could identify a way to improve his performance.

“So that’s how you get over that stuff,” Freeman said. “You can’t be mad about it if you just get better. It’s good stuff like that happened, because you always have something to improve on.”

Freeman joins his teammates in trying to put that painful loss behind them. He said the goal is to get right back to Super Bowl LII after the 2017 season. The social media jokes might actually slow down if the Falcons could manage to win that one.