Atlanta Falcons bold predictions: Drake London in for a massive year?
By Arkesh Ray
Bijan Robinson trails only McCaffrey in all-purpose yards
This is the boldest prediction yet, but not as far-fetched as it may seem. Robinson was 11th in the NFL in all-purpose yards in 2023 with 1,464 yards from scrimmage. This was done in basically 16 games (he only had one carry in the first Bucs game for three yards) while also splitting carries with Tyler Allgeier.
Spots 4-11 were separated by 121 yards which is not a big gap for a game-changer like Bijan.
Robinson’s 1,464 all-purpose yards were second most amongst all rookies, trailing only Rams’ Puka Nacua who recorded 1,575 yards from scrimmage.
The change in QB also benefits Robinson, defenses can no longer stack the box, as they will have to respect Kirk’s arm. In the Falcons’ Week 15 matchup against the Panthers, the weather conditions were horrid. It was raining, it was windy, it was cold, and everyone in the stadium knew the Falcons would have to run the ball to win. Robinson had seven carries for just 11 yards this game. Games like this will be few and far between now with Kirk at the helm. Not just that, but Kirk will be able to set up the play-action pass, which will pull LBers back leaving gaping holes for Robinson to run through. Also, Kirk will be able to hit Robinson out of the backfield far more often. Robinson is a dynamic receiver
and will be able to showcase that this upcoming season.
Lastly, Raheem Morris said the Falcons will look to use Robinson like Christian Mccaffrey. Contextually this is how Robinson’s usage differed from Cmac’s:
Carries inside the 20-yard line:
- CMC: 63 (most in NFL)
- Bijan: 23 (outside top 20)
Carries inside 10-yard line:
- CMC: 34
- Bijan: 12
Carries inside 5-yard line:
- CMC: 17
- BIjan: 2
Yes, Bijan had just two carries inside the five—Jonnu Smith had half that. That is something that cannot happen.
Arthur Smith liked the idea of Bijan more than actually using him.