Arthur Smith Reveals Atlanta Falcons 'Felt Good' About Playing Bijan Robinson vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After the Atlanta Falcons limited rookie running back Bijan Robinson during Sunday's win versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coach Arthur Smith explained the decision not to list him on the injury report.

The Atlanta Falcons were at the center of a big storyline Sunday that wasn't necessarily about what was going on the field during their 16-13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but rather, it was about the status of rookie running back Bijan Robinson. 

After going throughout the week of preparation leading up to the game on the road to the Buccaneers, all indications, including the injury report, didn't raise concern about the health of the Falcons' first-round draft pick.

After Robinson's largely absent performance, where he played just 11 snaps and received one carry, prompting sportsbooks to offer refunds to gamblers who bet on his prop bets and questions of why the Falcons didn't list their rookie on the injury report. 

"There are things that have popped up before, so I always do a final check, and obviously, you talk to the player," Smith said recently when asked about why he left Robinson off the injury report. "The situation – felt good that he would be available. ... The way the game went, CP and Tyler did a nice job, but at the end, I asked if he could go because I think he does a good job, especially in the two-minute stuff. He went out there." 

Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson (left) and coach Arthur Smith (right) / Clutchpoints

It wasn't until that two-minute situation that the Falcons finally decided, as Smith notes, to give Robinson his first touch. 

Despite the limited output from Robinson, the Falcons still managed to find a way to win against the Buccaneers, albeit not being pretty at times as turnovers reared their ugly head again. 

"How it affected the game, maybe it affected some calls," Smith said. "We’ll never know ... He got us a couple of yards to finish the game and help get the field goal closer, but things come up here all the time. ... Strange things have happened on gameday before, but we would never put him out there if it was something that would be detrimental long-term.”