HOUSTON – Bijan Robinson motioned outside into the slot, a gambit to get him into open space that worked perfectly. Once the Atlanta Falcons’ star rookie running back got the football on a bubble screen pass from quarterback Desmond Ridder, the Carolina Panthers’ defense was in major trouble.
Robinson stopped motion completely and Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu whiffed badly on a tackle attempt. From there, Robinson had a clear pathway into the end zone for his first NFL touchdown.
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Robinson represents the Falcons’ most dangerous offensive weapon. A first-round draft pick from the University of Texas and a former consensus All-American and Doak Walker award winner for the Longhorns has rushed for 318 yards and is tied for third in the NFL in rushing yards and he’s averaging six yards per carry. He also has 19 receptions for 134 yards and one score.
The Texans, especially veteran safety Jimmie Ward, have advanced knowledge of what Falcons coach Arthur Smith wants to do offensively: Get the football to Robinson, and with good reason.
“He’s a good back, I like him,” Ward said. “He’s explosive. He’s a home run hitter that can break away from a defender and catch it. He’s the whole package. I feel like he’s worth a first-round draft pick.”
While Ridder has struggled with 744 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and the Falcons have the worst ranked passing offense in the league despite the presence of tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith and wide receiver Drake London, they’re 12th in rushing and are averaging 128 yards per game on the ground.
Robinson’s backup, Tyler Allgeier has rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns.
“They’ve got wide receivers, if they use them,” Jimmie Ward said. " don’t think they’re trying to pass the ball. They’re trying to out-physical teams and run the ball. We’re going to have a tough task stopping them from running the ball.
“I saw what they did to San Fran last year and they ran the ball and beat them up pretty bad. I already know they’re going to stick with the run, for sure.”
Robinson ranks second in the NFL in average yards per carry. He’s tied with Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner for the most rushing yards.
“With Atlanta and their rushing attacks, have much respect for Arthur and what he’s done there with their offensive line,” said Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, a former NFL Assistant Coach of the Year as the defensive coordinator for the 49ers’ top-ranked defense last year. “You talk about guys running off the ball, playing physical. One of the best running outfits in the league. They’re very physical, fast up front to get to the second level. You start with Bijan, he’s probably one of the most explosive, dynamic players in this league.
“When he touches the ball, he’s dynamic. be a big task for us this week when it comes to stopping the run, because they do a really nice job of running it. And if you do stop it, they’re going to continue to run. They’re going to make you stop it for four quarters, so we have our hands full there.”
At 6-foot, 222 pounds, Robinson is big, strong and fast.
He rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final season at Texas.
He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.
Signed to a four-year, $21.96 million fully guaranteed contract, Robinson rushed for 129 yards and had four catches for 48 yards in a comeback win over the Green Bay Packers.
Robinson, Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, Miami Dolphins running back Devon Achane, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua are the leading candidates to be the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
“Bijan is a monster,” Stroud said. “He was supposed to be a Buckeye, so I’m still kind of mad at him about that, but that’s my guy. A lot of conversations with him, we have the same marketing guy, Bryan Burney, so we see each other a lot during the offseason and always have some good things to say.
“Real good dude, real funny, man of God and we talk about that a lot. too. He’s balling, man. I’m super excited and happy for that guy.”
The Texans rank 19th in run defense, allowing 116.5 yard per game. They’ve allowed 466 yards and seven touchdown runs through four games. The run defense got better in the past two weeks with upgraded play from linebackers Christian Harris and Henry To’oTo’o.
The Texans get veteran linebaker Denzel Perryman, a former Pro Bowl selection with the Las Vegas Raiders, back from a broken hand this week.
“Excited about it, it’s his type of game,” linebackers coach Chris Kiffin said. “We’ll see if he can tackle with one hand. Bijan has a low center of gravity, really strong back, great balance. The first hit rarely takes him down. He’s got great agility. We’re going to have our hands full. He got drafted to the right scheme.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
