Bijan Robinson is walking into Monday night with a chance to put on a show and send a message at the same time.
The Falcons’ offense keeps running through him for a reason. Through three weeks, only Kenneth Walker III has more rushing yards, and Robinson still sits atop the NFL in scrimmage yards. With Michael Penix Jr. back, Atlanta has some juice again, and that only makes Robinson more dangerous as the centerpiece.
The matchup with the Saints brings a little extra edge, too. It will be Kaden Elliss’ first game against his former team after leaving Atlanta to return to New Orleans in free agency. Robinson knows Elliss well from the last three seasons as teammates, and this is the kind of spot where those practice reps and that familiarity suddenly matter a lot.
Atlanta, for its part, moved on from Elliss and signed off on a different plan in the middle of the defense. Instead of keeping him on the three-year, $33 million deal he got from New Orleans, the Falcons drafted Harold Perkins Jr. and Kendal Daniels, two players they viewed as better fits for Jeff Ulbrich’s system. The organization clearly preferred athleticism in that spot over a more versatile linebacker, and that choice sets up an interesting night for everyone involved.
The Saints’ run defense also gives Robinson a real opening. New Orleans is 1-2 and near the bottom of the league against the run, allowing the sixth-most rushing yards per game. Jahmyr Gibbs already found plenty of room against them, and Robinson has every tool to do the same or more.
That’s the part that should worry New Orleans. Robinson is explosive as a runner, dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield, and already averaging over five yards per touch. If the Saints have been vulnerable to elite backs on the ground, there’s little reason to think Robinson won’t take advantage.
Primetime only sharpens the edge. Robinson has already been a problem under the lights, and Monday Night Football has been especially good to him. In two MNF games in 2025, he topped 200 scrimmage yards in both and scored rushing touchdowns from 80-plus yards out each time.
New Orleans also doesn’t have a pass rush that can clean up the problems behind it. Chase Young and Cam Jordan are solid, but with Christen Miller and Bryan Bresee hurt, the Saints don’t have the kind of interior presence built to shut Robinson down. And with Atlanta’s pass rush creating pressure on the other side, Elliss won’t get much help if he’s the one asked to make the stop.
The Falcons are going to keep feeding their All-Pro back, and Monday night gives Robinson a clean stage to pile up yards, help Atlanta win, and make Elliss think twice about leaving.
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For Maason Smith, the night brings a personal layer the Falcons will be watching closely. The defensive tackle will play in his hometown for the first time as an NFL player, and the building itself carries its own history for him after he tore his ACL there while at LSU. It is the kind of return that can sharpen a player's focus, and it gives Atlanta another reason to be locked in for a game that matters in the division. [Read more 🡒]
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Falcons QB Picture Just Got More Interesting After Penixs Packers Win
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Tagovailoa is expected to remain the primary backup when the Falcons head into their next game against the Saints, which adds a layer of stability even as the depth chart remains in motion. For Atlanta, the immediate question is no longer just who starts next week, but how the team manages the balance between Penix's momentum and Tagovailoa's return to full availability. [Read more 🡒]