Bijan Robinson is drawing heavyweight praise ahead of Atlanta’s primetime spotlight, and this time it came from one of the NFL’s most feared runners.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry called the Falcons star “the best in the game right now,” saying, “He’s doing it all. I’m not going to shy away from it.
He’s doing a great job. He does a great job when the play is not exactly how they want it.
He knows how to make guys miss.”
Robinson’s production backs up the hype. He sits second in the NFL in rushing yards with 494, trailing only the Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker III, who has 537 yards.
Now the Ravens are the next team tasked with trying to slow him down, and they know exactly what they’re walking into. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith called it “an exciting challenge,” and made clear the matchup starts up front.
“I think it is an exciting challenge for us, when you pride yourself on stopping the run,” Smith said. “I have a lot of respect for [Robinson] as a runner, their offensive line, their receivers, with their willingness to block.
“I look at this as a front-seven game. It is about showing up, and obviously the whole world's watching, so showing up and showing out.”
Baltimore also heard from Hamilton, who said Robinson presents a difficult assignment because of the variety in his game.
“That's a loaded question,” Hamilton replied. “He is super talented in everything that he does.
He is very sudden, very strong, explosive. Obviously, he has the stats to back it up and, you know, there is not a lot like him.
“It is up to us to be where we are supposed to be. I think that is the big thing first and foremost, especially in the run game. Do not get out of your gap, trust guys to come and do their job, and I think we will be fine.”
The challenge gets even bigger if the Ravens are without quarterback Lamar Jackson, leaving even more on Baltimore’s defense to keep Robinson from taking over.
In Other News...
Matt Ryans Falcons Role Is Already Turning Heads Around The NFL
Matt Ryans return to the Falcons has already become more than a ceremonial homecoming. Atlanta brought him in as president of football, a role built around oversight rather than day-to-day control, but he has been present in the places that matter most, around practices and in meetings as the team puts its football operation together.
What has stood out around the league is how seriously Ryan has taken the job after leaving his CBS broadcasting role to commit fully to the Falcons. NBC Sports Chris Simms pointed to that level of involvement as something different from the way some former players handle executive titles, and it is the kind of detail that is already shaping outside perceptions of Atlantas front office. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Get A Very Different Test Sunday Than Anyone Expected
Sundays matchup against Baltimore is already taking on a different shape than the one the Falcons likely spent the week preparing for. The Ravens are moving forward with a change at quarterback, and head coach Jesse Minter said he feels good about Tyler Huntley stepping in if needed, which shifts the spotlight for Atlanta from a familiar star to a backup with a much different profile.
Baltimore is also dealing with a notable absence on the edge, with Trey Hendrickson expected to sit because of a finger injury. For the Falcons, that means the challenge becomes less about surviving the version of the Ravens everyone knows and more about adjusting on the fly to a game plan that may look considerably different by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Need Kendal Daniels More Than Ever Against Baltimore
The Falcons have spent the early part of this season sorting out how best to use their second linebacker spot, leaning on rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. in different situations depending on the matchup. Daniels has drawn the nod when the priority is stopping the run, while Perkins has been asked to handle more of the coverage work, giving Atlanta a flexible but still evolving answer behind its front.
With Baltimore looming, that rotation feels more important than ever. Coach Jeff Ulbrich has been asking Daniels to absorb multiple defensive responsibilities as the Falcons try to match up with physical run games and backs like Derrick Henry, and Daniels has also seen work on the defensive line as part of that broader plan. For Atlanta, the question is less about whether the rookies can help and more about how much of the burden each one will carry when the opponent forces the issue on the ground. [Read more 🡒]