Michael Rothstein, ESPN Personnel Scribbler
ATLANTA — Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson noticed the opening created via the suitable facet of his offensive series and decrease upfield Friday night time in a preseason sport in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals. He ran week a defender, avoided every other one with some footwork and fell ahead during the touch.
Robinson’s first run as an NFL again went for 12 yards, and it encapsulated such a lot of what he had already proven his staff for weeks — elusiveness, velocity and a capability to worth his agility to reason issues for defenses.
“It was definitely a good feeling,” Robinson, the Refuse. 8 pick out on this generation’s NFL draft, stated then the sport, which led to a 13-13 attach. “It was just that little outside zone and just stretched it a little bit, got underneath the slips and then had to make the guy miss. That’s what we practice every day in camp.
“That’s what I attempt to do each and every time to assistance my staff, to get the ones more or less explosive runs for us.”
It was all part of a short but effective outing for Robinson, who had four carries for 20 yards and one reception for six yards. He played on one drive, albeit a 15-play drive ending in an interception in the red zone, but it was an appearance that showed enough of what he was capable of.
It could have been an even bigger drive for him, too, but Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor threw a challenge flag right before the Falcons snapped the ball on what would have been a wide-open screen pass for Robinson from Desmond Ridder.
“I assumed he operated rapid,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “It no doubt didn’t glance too fat for him.”
Smith had planned on playing Robinson all week but made it clear Atlanta wasn’t going to show everything his offense could do with the playmaker — not even close. Instead, Smith chose to do what most NFL teams do in the preseason, running their normal concepts and “vanilla” personnel groupings.
Smith said he thought Robinson carried the ball “good-looking worthy and concept he safe smartly.”
Robinson, 21, said he was “a minute worried” because it was his first NFL game, but after his first play, he said, everything felt more natural. After his first run, an amped-up fullback Keith Smith came up to him, another thing that helped Robinson relax.
Running back Tyler Allgeier, who was in a similar position to Robinson last year, albeit with less attention around him, told Robinson just to focus on every play and trust the coaching he has received. Allgeier and Robinson are expected to be the team’s main rushers along with Cordarrelle Patterson this season.
Allgeier said Robinson’s first run “didn’t actually amaze” him.
“As a result of, blast, we had such a lot self assurance in him,” Allgeier said. “So it’s now not actually a amaze as a result of we know the way crisp he works, and upcoming him with the ability to put together at the ground. So it used to be excellent.”
Robinson said nothing about his first NFL game surprised him, in part because he was able to get the feel of what it would be like in the present and future.
“I sought after to peer how the whole thing used to be going, see how the tide of the sport went,” Robinson said. “See how we’ll go at the offense and notice how everyone appeared round me.”
