When the Atlanta Falcons signed Brian Robinson Jr. in free agency, most people were quick to write it off. It seemed like he was mainly brought in to replace the departed Tyler Allgeier as the change-of-pace back behind Bijan Robinson, but Robinson Jr. is starting to prove he's no ordinary RB2.
Signing him in free agency is starting to age a whole lot better for the Falcons, and that's because he knows how to make an impact on more than just offense. He's a tough, physical runner who's good in short-yardage situations, which is the type of back that annoys fantasy owners but NFL teams love. And he and Bijan complement one another perfectly.
Even though it was a cheap one-year deal Atlanta is still ensuring they get their money's worth with Robinson Jr. In the 20-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener, he logged nine carries for 31 rushing yards--which wasn't his only effect on the stat sheet.
Brian Robinson Jr. is making an impact for the Atlanta Falcons in several areas
The Falcons only kept two running backs on their initial 53-man roster, so they almost had no choice but to utilze him on offense, but they see him as more than just an offensive weapon. The place where the 26-year-old was most productive in Pittsburgh was on special teams as the primary kick returner.
While Zachariah Branch had the big return called back by holding, Robinson Jr. also helped set up the Dirty Birds with favorable field position. He logged 64 return yards on just two kick returns, including a 40-yard return that cemented him as one of their most valuable special teams players in addition to his role on offense--which was not relegated to being Bijan's backup.
The 2022 third-round pick started for three years in Washington, so this Falcons' coaching staff is well aware that Brian Robinson Jr. can handle a decent-sized workload. The only reason he likely didn't get even more work is because of a negative game script and them having to run the offense through Bijan Robinson with Cooper Rush the Week 1 starter.
The good news for the Alabama product is that next up on the docket is a favorable matchup for the run game. Atlanta is set to face the division rival Carolina Panthers in their home opener, and they're coming off of a 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears where Chicago logged almost 300 rushing yards.
Even Kyle Monangai. the Bears' back who is most similar to B-Rob's own skillset went for over 100 yards and a touchdown thanks to a 61-yard score. So between offense and special teams, he should have a big day against a defense that was complete swiss cheese against the run last weekend.
With Tyler Goodson now in Dallas, the Falcons will need Brian Robinson Jr. to continue stepping up on both offense and special teams, and the good news is that he can handle being a whole lot more than Bijan Robinson's backup.
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