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Bijan Robinson had a record-breaking performance as the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams 27-24 Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, setting several franchise and league milestones along the way.
The running back had the best outing of his career, totaling 195 yards on 22 carries and adding 34 receiving yards on five catches, while scoring twice in a display that highlighted his growing status in the NFL.
Robinson’s two touchdowns came in contrasting ways, including a 93-yard run that set a new Falcons franchise record and score through the air. His combined total of 229 yards from scrimmage brought him to 2,255 for the season, making him Atlanta’s single-season leader in that category and surpassing William Andrews’ long-standing mark from 1983.
That total is now the third highest of any NFL player over the past decade, behind Christian McCaffrey’s 2019 campaign and Saquon Barkley’s 2024 production.
At just 23 years old, Robinson also became the most productive player under 24 in NFL history in yards from scrimmage, rising to 5,585 and passing McCaffrey and Barry Sanders. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris had unequivocal praise after the game.
“I said it 18 weeks ago: he’s the best player in football,” Morris said. “I mean, it’s as simple as that. He’s amazing. Everything he does for our football team, from running the football, to catching, to protecting, and being a leader. He’s also our chaplain. He does it all.”
The evening continued to provide historic moments for Robinson. His long touchdown run made him one of only two players to record multiple scrimmage touchdowns of 80 yards or more on Monday Night Football in a single season, while also eclipsing Warrick Dunn’s 90-yard effort from 2006 as the longest rushing score in Falcons history.
He also finished with 190 scrimmage yards after contact, the most by any player in a single game since ESPN began tracking the statistics in 2009, and joined Jerry Rice as the only players to post consecutive Monday night games with at least 200 scrimmage yards.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins highlighted both Robinson’s talent and attitude, while emphasizing the need to manage his workload. “He’s a special player,” Cousins said. “What he can do in both the running game and the passing game is very unique. He’s a great teammate. He’s a great person. It bodes well for his future.”
“And I think the key is we have to use him properly and not overwork him because I think tonight we asked a lot of him and I want to make sure he’s fresh for what he has in front of him. But if you call his number, he’ll answer. He’s not going to complain or tell you he’s tired.”
Even though the Falcons have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs for several weeks, Robinson said the team has found renewed motivation late in the season. Atlanta has now won three straight and four of its last five, and the running back believes pride has been a driving force.
“We made it known as soon as we had that elimination that we were going to finish this season the right way, finish it strong so we can lead next season because we’re all men,” Robinson said.
“We’re all guys that love this game so much. So it’s very important for us to finish the right way as a team. And it feels good to know that, yeah, we’re obviously not going to the playoffs, but we did something good at the end of the season.”
