What Did Falcons RB Bijan Robinson's Debut Usage Prove?

Following a shared rushing workload in Week 1, is Bijan Robinson or Tyler Allgeier the Atlanta Falcons' top running back?

This past weekend, Atlanta Falcons fans got a taste of what running back Bijan Robinson could offer the team, but head coach Arthur Smith wasn’t surprised by the rookie’s performance.

That’s not an RB. That’s a football player https://t.co/V8t7phpq5X

— Isaiah De Anda Delgado (@IsaiahDDelgado) September 12, 2023

“That first touchdown, that’s the stuff we see every day in practice,” Smith said. “That didn’t surprise me. You guys kind of looked at me – ‘running back?’ – but he’s a football player. He’ll line up all over the place, and there’s still more he can do. He’s such a unique player and unique balance. So, you get in there and get in the red zone. The guy made a heck of a play, but we saw that every day in practice. I thought that he’d do something like that today today, and he did. I’m glad it helped us win.” 

Some raised their eyebrows at the Falcons’ regime for investing the No. 8 pick in a running back, but through one game, Robinson has already demonstrated that he’s much more than a rusher. 

In his debut against the Carolina Panthers, Robinson had 10 carries for 56 yards and an additional six targets, which he made good use of, catching all six passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. 

Is Bijan Robinson truly the top running back on the Atlanta Falcons? / USA Today Sports

His 16 touches were second only to his backfield mate Tyler Allgeier, who had 15 carries and three catches for 94 total yards. This was the first time fans could see some of what the tandem could offer. 

It appears that Allgeier will still have a sizeable role on early downs as a rusher, something he earned following his impressive rookie season when the fifth-round pick ran for over a thousand yards on roughly five yards per carry. 

Smith has been creative in wording how Atlanta’s running back duties will be divided. Versatile veteran Cordarelle Patterson, who led the team in rushing just two seasons ago, had his position listed as JOKER on the team’s depth chart for this season. 

In the traditional sense, Allgeier was the team’s top running back because he led the Falcons in carries, but Robinson led all Atlanta players in targets. He's exactly what Smith called him: a “football player.”

How Robinson will be used in the offense after Patterson returns from injury is anyone’s guess, but Week 1 proved that he’s an offensive focal point in Atlanta who will get touches in one way or another.