Michael RothsteinESPN Staff Writer4 Minute Reading
Bijan Robinson took his first NFL carry for 12 yards
Bijan Robinson’s first carry was a 12-yard rush to the delight of Atlanta fans.
Robinson’s first run as an NFL back went for 12 yards, and it embodied much of what he’s shown his team for weeks — passion, speed and the ability to use his quickness to cause problems. defense.
“It was definitely a good feeling,” said Robinson, the No. 8 pick in this year’s NFL draft, after the game, which ended in a 13-13 tie. “Just that little area outside and just stretched it a little bit, got under the slips and the guy had to fail. That’s what we’ve been practicing every day in camp.
“That’s what I try to do every day to help my team, to get those explosive runs for us.”
It was part of a short but effective outing for Robinson, who had four carries for 20 yards and one reception for six yards. He played one drive, albeit a 15-play drive that ended with an interception in the red zone, but it was a look that showed what he can do.
It could have been a bigger drive for him, too, but Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor threw a challenge flag before the Falcons got the ball on an open screen pass for Robinson from Desmond Ridder.
“I thought he operated fast,” said Falcons coach Arthur Smith. “It’s definitely not too big for him.”
Smith plans to play Robinson all week but Atlanta has made it clear it won’t showcase everything its offense can do at point guard — not even close. Instead, Smith chose to do what most NFL teams do in the preseason, running their normal “vanilla” concepts and personnel groups.
Smith said he thought Robinson carried the ball “pretty decent and thought he defended well.”
Robinson, 21, said he was “a little nervous” because it was his first NFL game, but after his first game, he said, everything felt more natural. After his first run, an amped-up fullback Keith Smith approached him, another thing that helped Robinson relax.
The return of Tyler Allgeier, who was in the same position as Robinson last year, although with less attention around him, told Robinson to just focus on each play and trust the coaching he received. Allgeier and Robinson are expected to be the team’s leading rushers along with Cordarrelle Patterson this season.
Allgeier said Robinson’s first run “didn’t surprise him at all.”
“Because, shoot, we have a lot of confidence in him,” said Allgeier. “So it’s not really surprising because we know how hard he works, and then he’s able to produce on the field. So it’s good.”
Robinson said nothing about his first NFL game surprised him, in part because he got a feel for what it was like now and what’s to come.
“I want to see how everything goes, see how the game goes,” Robinson said. “See how we run the offense and see how everyone around me looks.”