The Atlanta Falcons might find it difficult to make a case for a player on an eliminated team to win a prestigious award like Offensive Player of the Year, but running back Bijan Robinson has been so dominant this year that he is now completely tearing up the franchise's record book.
Robinson, who came into Week 17 against the Los Angeles Rams having already surpassed 2,000 yards from scrimmage on the season, made his mark on this game immediately by helping Atlanta race out to a 21-0 lead by way of a 93-yard touchdown run.
Robinson kept his churning ways up, and he eventually surpassed William Andrews' Falcons record for scrimmage yards in a single season of 2,176. That record stood for over 40 years, and many wondered if any Falcon would even come close to touching that mark.
Not only is Robinson quickly making a name for himself as one of the Falcons' greatest skill position players, but he is putting together a year that has been so dominant that he should be right at the top of the pack in the Offensive Player of the Year hunt. What more does he need to do?
Bijan Robinson strengthens OPOY case by breaking Falcons' scrimmage yards record
Robinson not only passed 1,400 yards rushing on the season, but he came into this game with 71 catches and just under 800 yards receiving. As both a runner and pass-catcher, it can be argued that Robinson is as good as anyone in the league in both those areas.
Keep in mind the fact that Robinson is doing this in an offense that lost starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and has played large chunks of game time without wide receiver Drake London. Teams know that Robinson is the engine that stirs this Kirk Cousins-led offense, and they still can't stop him.
If Offensive Player of the Year is one again handed to the best non-quarterback in the league, Robinson will likely be competing with Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Los Angeles' Puka Nacua, and San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey for this honor. McCaffrey's team success may give him the edge over Robinson, but No. 7 may have the yardage advantage.
Robinson is already eighth on the Falcons' all-time rushing list, and he could pass seventh-place Michael Vick and sixth-place Devonta Freeman with a strong Week 18. If he keeps this up, Gerald Riggs' record of 6,631 yards may be firmly in sight after a few more years.