Winner: Bijan Robinson
This is the player that Arthur Smith was shying away from in scoring situations with Desmond Ridder at quarterback. Say what you will about first season frustrations with Raheem Morris at least he isn't actively preventing touches from his best player. Quite the opposite for a coach that put offensive coordinator Zac Robinson in place with the understanding they would lean on Atlanta's best weapons.
While this seems quite a simple concept it was an exciting one after three long seasons of Arthur Smith's it was a welcome change. Robinson took full advantage and put together an elite season often carrying the offense in the second half. Robinson is the only thing keeping Atlanta's offense afloat while Kirk Cousins struggled.
Robinson's ability to create positive plays when it seems sure he is caught in the backfield is elite. The one part of Bijan's game that is yet to develop is consistent big plays. A part of the back's game that is almost guaranteed to unlock in 2025 with Michael Penix Jr. forcing the opposing defense to play far more honest than they did for much of the 2024 season.
Loser: Jimmy Lake
It seems that the Atlanta defensive coordinator is the odd man out after the last two games. Before we launch into why this is more than fair we must consider the improvements in the pass rush. It seems many wanted to lay blame at the feet of Lake for the awful defense but ignore the jobs or Raheem Morris or Terry Fontenot. The men making the decisions and hiring Lake deserve far more heat than a coordinator who was put in a position he wasn't well suited for.
Add in the fact he didn't have one capable pass rusher and what was objectively a bad defensive roster and expectations were perhaps too high. With that said, Lake needs to find a new landing spot and Atlanta's final game was an example of why. Unable to stop a four-win offense at all in the second-half and there was never a suggestion in overtime the Falcons could get a stop.
The very basic coverages that Lake called could be seen by any average Madden player. Bryce Young and Jayden Daniels both quickly realized what the defense was calling and adjusted their approach. When that has happened this season the coordinator has never had a viable counter.