Bijan Robinson is now seven games into the 2026 season and leads the NFL in rushing yards (703), with 131 carries (fourth), while averaging 5.4 yards a run (fourth), and 4 touchdowns (11th). On top of that Robinson's caught 25 passes, for 204 receiving and a 1 TD in 2026. Bijan’s playing at an elite level in 2026, so if it wasn't already clear, the Atlanta Falcons have the best running back in the NFL.
No. 7 put up his third career 200 yard against the Green Bay Packers this season, and out of seven games in 2026, Bijan went over 100 scrimmage yards in five of them, including last week against the 49ers. He does all this while accounting for around 74% of touches from the Falcons backfield.
To spite his performances some have criticized, "lack of production" against the Bears (61 yards rushing) in Week 6 and the 49ers (63 yards rushing) in Week 7, marking them as mid-level performances.
But this is far from the truth. The real answer behind the "struggles" that are mostly out of Bijan's control, while what he does handle personally stands out. Let's dive into the games!
The Falcons lack an identity in the run game beyond just Bijan Robinson
Looking at the Bears loss, the issue was clear, as the Falcons DID NOT run the ball. Walking away from that game with nine rushes, Bijan never got the opportunity to pop off against a team that at the time ranked around ninth with 96 yards per game allowed on the ground--according to TeamRankings.
The key was to continue where they left off against the Ravens--running the ball 26 times--to create more opportunity in the pass game, but no. The Falcons coaching staff held the Falcons behind the sticks, passing the ball an astounding 76.0% of their plays, while only running the ball 12 times total.
The worst part is that the All-Pro back didn't struggle, he averaged 6.8 yards a carry on the day, and it was the negative game script that saw them abandon the run game. Ultimately the Dirty Birds would succumb to the Bears and blame would shift coaching until the 49ers game.
There are still some questions to be had about this Falcons' running game
The Falcons chose to lean into the running game more against the 49ers. A team that averaged a 16.9% rush stuff rate, and allowed 1.5 yards before contact--both 5th worst in the league, on top of their light box rate should have been ripped apart by Bijan right?
Nope. In fact Bijan only recorded 63 yards on 20 carries. So what happened? The answer lies in the offensive line. According to Sharp Analytics, the Falcons' offensive line has allowed around .9 yards before contact in 2026, ranking in the mid 20s and making it harder for Tommy Rees to get him going.
This stat would define the game for Atlanta on the ground. A team like the 49ers who gave up 1.5 a carry defensively, bullied Atlanta's line into oblivion. Atlanta only averaged .7 yards before contact against San Fran, which meant Bijan fought for every yard.
Even through this Bijan managed, rushing for a little over 3 yards a pop, and even breaking off a huge run that was stripped via a holding penalty on Falcons right tackle Jawaan Taylor. With that being said Bijan by no means was shut down either, as a whole gaining 122 yards of scrimmage after a couple nice catches.
Overall these performances had their quirks but what the 24-year-old does is affect wins. Watching him run the ball is like watching a ballet dancer prance around then line and turn what should be losses into gains. This is was makes him average nearly two yards a carry more than Brian Robinson.
Although they share a similar success rate, Bijan hits holes and home-runs out of lanes most couldn't and in a way he's the thank for the Falcons run-blocking grades and success metrics. Bijan Robinson is a key component of the Falcons offense and as long as he takes the field he'll make every player around him better. That's what the best player in the league should be expected to do.
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