The Atlanta Falcons are currently on a roll. They’ve won three straight games, with the latest coming in a Week 17 Monday Night Football thriller against the Los Angeles Rams, a 27-24 victory.
All it took was Zane Gonzalez drilling a 51-yard field goal to seal the win against one of the NFC’s best teams. But the real story coming out of Atlanta in Week 17 was Bijan Robinson.
Gonzalez also knocked through a field goal in the third quarter to extend the Falcons’ lead to 24-3, while Jessie Bates III returned a Matthew Stafford interception for a touchdown. Still, every point the Falcons’ offense put on the board came from Robinson, who has been Atlanta’s most consistent playmaker all season.
“I think tonight we asked a lot of him, but if you call his number he’s going to answer. He’s not going to complain or say he’s tired,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall.
Considering the Falcons weren’t playing for much beyond pride against the Rams — after their playoff hopes were dashed weeks ago — Robinson delivering a career night spoke volumes about the third-year running back.
Bijan Robinson Sets Record Against Rams
When the final whistle blew, Robinson once again found himself at the center of the conversation in Atlanta. He finished with 22 carries for 195 yards — a career high — and a touchdown, while also adding five receptions for 34 yards and another score.
His 229 total yards from scrimmage pushed him past a long-standing Falcons record, giving him 2,255 scrimmage yards on the season. That surpassed the mark set by William Andrews in 1983, who totaled 2,176 yards, according to Kendall.
Robinson now leads the NFL in 150-plus-yard games this season, while recording at least 100 yards from scrimmage in 11 games.
The highlight of the night came on a career-long and franchise record 93-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, a play that gave Atlanta a commanding 21-0 lead.
“That was just one of those plays where I had to make a guy miss in the hole,” Robinson said of the run. “I was trying to find another crease and the crease came about, and I was like, man, I’ve got to take off. We don’t got a jumbotron here, so I was like, all right, either I don’t get caught or just run as fast as you can. I kept kind of looking back to see if I was free and we got the touchdown, so that was a really big momentum shift for our team.”
Bijan Robinson Receives Praise From Falcons Teammates
After the game, Robinson’s teammates were quick to praise both his performance and his character.
Speaking with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, Falcons guard Chris Lindstrom and offensive tackle Elijah Wilkinson had glowing reviews of their running back.
“Bijan started off, first and foremost, as probably the greatest person, as an individual, that’s ever been in a locker room,” Lindstrom said. “He’s an inspiration to all of us. He gives the credit and glory to God.”
Wilkinson said watching Robinson rip off the 93-yard touchdown was like a “breath of fresh air.”
“As soon as it happened, I was on a knee because I got tripped up, and I just pointed up, thanking God,” Wilkinson said.
Robinson’s impact clearly extends beyond the stat sheet. Whether it’s his explosive playmaking or the way he carries himself inside the locker room, the Falcons’ young star has firmly established himself as one of the faces of the franchise moving forward.
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