Bijan Robinson matches mark set by Falcons legend with performance vs. 49ers
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons appeared destined for a second straight loss and a 2-5 record. At one point, they trailed the 6-0 San Francisco 49ers 14-3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
But in front of a throng of fans cheering for the visitors, it was the hosts emerging with the victory. Atlanta defeated San Francisco 29-20, leaving the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings and the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs as the NFL’s only undefeated teams.
Robinson didn’t have the best rushing performance by his lofty standards. He took 20 carries for just 63 yards, or a season-low 3.2 yards per carry. (He did have five catches for 59 yards, though.)
But the Falcons star has still eclipsed the 700-yard mark for the season — in fact, he currently sits at 704 yards through seven games. According to ESPN, the last Atlanta running back to reach that mark this early in a season was Warrick Dunn. Dunn, a member of the Falcons’ Ring of Honor, finished with 1,416 yards in 2005.
With 10 games to go, Robinson has plenty of chances to add to his yardage total. He already has the sixth- and seventh-highest regular-season rushing totals in franchise history.
Meanwhile, the Falcons’ next game is on Nov. 1. Atlanta travels to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
