The Atlanta Falcons haven’t had a great season, currently standing at 4-9, third in the NFC South division, and were recently eliminated from playoff contention following their Week 14, 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home. Although the year has been subpar for the team overall, it has been anything but that for Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. With Pro Bowl voting underway, Robinson’s case for election to the Pro Bowl will be examined.
Bijan Robinson Pro Bowl Argument
Robinson is one of the most dynamic running backs in the entire NFL. Robinson can run in between the tackles or get the outside with speed, as he’s very elusive and can turn a short gain into a touchdown with quickness.
The Falcons rely heavily on Robinson to get the offense going. He even got the majority of the plays in their first drive against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. In that contest, Robinson rushed for 86 yards on 20 carries in the 9-37 loss. Up to this point in the season, Robinson has 1,081 rushing yards, which ranks fourth in the NFL, and five rushing touchdowns, which is tied for 20th. PFSN has Robinson at an 84.6 Running Back Impact Score.
But he’s not only a threat in the run game, but also in the pass game. Robinson has 56 receptions for 602 yards and two touchdowns. Robinson has 1,683 all-purpose yards this season, which further proves his versatility. One of his best, if not his best, games this year was against the Buffalo Bills in Week six, where he had 170 rushing yards and a touchdown, while catching six passes for 68 receiving yards. Robinson was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Atlanta won the game 24-14Â in an upset.
Another one of his better performances was against the New York Jets in Week 13, where he carried the ball 23 times for 142 rushing yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 51 yards. With Robinson having such a great season, the Falcons aren’t winning many games, and some may hold that against him when it comes to voting.
Robinson is one of the best in the NFL, but what other running backs does he stack up against in the NFC?
Other Notable Running Backs In The NFL
The NFL’s leading rusher is currently the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, with 1,356 yards. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III is in second place with 1,308 rushing yards, and third is Miami Dolphins’ DeVon Achane with 1,126. But Robinson is fourth with 1,081, and fifth is Detroit Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs at 1,062.
Gibbs is the only NFC running back in the top five, outside of Robinson. That should be enough to be in the Pro Bowl. Still, there’s another NFC back, Christian McCaffrey, who only has 849 rushing yards, but he has eight rushing touchdowns, to go along with 85 catches for 806 yards and five touchdowns. McCaffrey is a dynamic back, just like Robinson, but Bijan should be voted to the Pro Bowl alongside McCaffrey and others.
Does Bijan Robinson deserve to be a Pro Bowler this season? Yes, he does.
