The Atlanta Falcons will look to rebound from a brutal 34-10 home loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, as they face off against another AFC East team. The 3-4 Falcons will travel to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, in hopes of getting back on track against one of the AFC's hottest teams.
The Dirty Birds hope to receive a better performance from supertar Bijan Robinson against the Patriots after being shut down by the Dolphins' defense. In the loss to the Dolphins, the 23-year-old rushed for just 25 yards on nine carries.
Robinson having a performance that Falcons fans are accustomed to seeing will be a major key if they hope to upset the Patriots in Week 9. He is considered by many as one of the best running backs in the NFL, and ahead of Sunday's game, he is receiving praise from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Mike Vrabel compares Robinson to NFL Hall-of-Fame running back
Vrabel compared the Falcons' running back to NFL Hall-of-Famer Marshall Faulk. Vrabel's comments are quite the compliment for Robinson, who, through two-and-a-half seasons in the NFL, has rushed 2,981 yards and 20 touchdowns.
If all goes well the rest of his NFL career and he continues the trajectory he is currently on, Robinson could be joining Faulk in Canton.
HC Vrabel said he compared Bijan Robinson to HOFer Marshall Faulk this week. pic.twitter.com/KZ00rHLd5h
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 31, 2025
In 12 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and the then St. Louis Rams, Faulk rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns, and was a key piece of The Greatest Show on Turf with Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt.
Also, the seven-time Pro Bowler won the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2000, earned an NFL MVP award, and was a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
In terms of accolades, the former Texas standout was a Pro Bowl selection in 2024 and named to the All-Rookie team in 2023. Last season, he rushed for 1,456 yards and a 14 touchdowns, both of which marked career highs. And now he's in pursuit of his own Offensive Player of the Year award.
This season, the 2023 first-rounder is on pace for another 1,000- yard rushing season. Through seven games this season, he is ninth in the NFL in rushing with 549 yards, while his 914 scrimmage yards are second in the league—with only Christian McCaffrey ahead of him.
We'll see if Robinson can have a bounce-back performance on Sunday, or if New England shuts down the Falcons' potent rushing attack. Atlanta is in desperate for a win as they try to stay in the thick of the race for the NFC South title, and a stunning upset of the Pats would do wonders for keeping their playoff hopes alive.