Bijan Robinson wasted no time turning his Week 4 promise into points.
The Atlanta Falcons running back said before facing the New Orleans Saints that he was ready to give the fans something special, and he delivered almost immediately at Caesars Superdome. Robinson ripped off a 59-yard touchdown in the first quarter, showing off the burst and power that have made him one of the league’s most dangerous weapons.
He wasn’t done there. Before the opening quarter ended, he found the end zone again on a four-yard run.
That first-quarter outburst put Robinson in rare company. According to Falcons reporter Will McFadden, his 78 rushing yards in the opening period marked the most by a Falcons player in the first quarter since September 7, 2008, when Michael Turner went for 117 rushing yards against Detroit in his first game as a Falcon.
“Bijan Robinson's 78 rushing yards are the most a Falcons player has had in the first quarter since September 7, 2008, when Michael Turner went for 117 rushing yards versus Detroit (Lions) in his first game as a Falcon. What a debut that was to get Matt Ryan a win in his first career start,” wrote McFadden on X.
Robinson had said before the game that he sees it as his job to show up for the fans, and he pointed to Kobe Bryant as an inspiration. He has also been especially productive under the lights, averaging 185.8 yards from scrimmage in primetime games since last season.
“Whether it's primetime, whether it's a one o'clock game, they're all the same in terms of my mentality. Everybody watches you on TV, and they watch you in the stands,” said the two-time Pro Bowler in a report from ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
At halftime, Atlanta led New Orleans 24-7. Robinson had 12 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Penix Jr. was 10-of-15 for 125 yards.
The Falcons and Saints entered the game with matching 1-2 records.
In Other News...
Falcons-Saints Just Lost A Reunion Fans Had Circled
The Week 4 meeting with New Orleans just got a little thinner on the Saints defensive side, as linebacker Kaden Elliss has been ruled out because of a calf injury. Atlanta also got some clarity on the rest of the matchup picture, with the Saints set to be without edge rushers Carl Granderson and Anfernee Jennings, while linebacker Pete Werner is listed as questionable.
For the Falcons, the most interesting ripple could come at linebacker if Divine Deablo cant go. That would open the door for rookie Harold Perkins Jr. to see more action, giving Atlanta a chance to lean on a younger defensive look in a division game that already carried plenty of intrigue before the injury report started to reshape it. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Just Raised The Stakes For Falcons Vs Saints
Michael Penix Jr. is walking into one of the biggest spots of his young Falcons career, and he is not treating Monday nights trip to New Orleans like just another divisional game. Fresh off returning from an ACL injury, the quarterback is set to start against the Saints in a matchup that carries real weight for Atlantas NFC South hopes, with the Falcons still trying to establish themselves in the division race.
The setting only adds to the pressure. The game also lands on the 20th anniversary of the Saints first game back at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, giving the night an extra layer of emotion and attention. Penixs recent critical remark about New Orleans has already sharpened the edge of the matchup, and now he has to back it up in one of the leagues more charged road environments. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Remember The Steve Gleason Play For A Different Reason
Two decades later, Steve Gleasons blocked punt still looms large over the Saints return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, a snapshot that became bigger than the play itself and a symbol of recovery for a city and a franchise. For Falcons fans, it remains one of those moments that lives on for more than the football, a reminder of how one snap can take on a meaning nobody could have scripted.
Gleasons story did not stop there, of course. After his ALS diagnosis in 2011, he turned the visibility from that night into something far more lasting, becoming one of the sports most recognizable advocates for ALS awareness while continuing to share his life publicly. He now has an album, titled "Rebirth," on the way, drawn from the years since his diagnosis, and he has said that the blocked punt ended up giving him a platform that proved important in a fight much bigger than football. [Read more 🡒]