Bijan Robinson enters Monday night's game against the Saints with one of the NFL's most remarkable primetime records
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson enters Monday night's game against the New Orleans Saints carrying one of the most remarkable primetime track records in NFL history, after a 213-yard performance against Green Bay in Week 3.
A primetime specialist
Bijan Robinson, the Atlanta Falcons' running back, has built a reputation as one of the league's most dangerous players under the lights. According to NFL.com, Robinson owns a career average of 145.5 scrimmage yards across his 11 primetime games, the highest average in NFL history. ESPN Insights, cited by Sporting News, frames the record slightly differently, saying Robinson has the highest scrimmage-yards-per-game average in primetime games since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, and separately highlights that in his four career Monday Night Football appearances specifically, he has averaged 181 scrimmage yards — the best mark in MNF history.
Robinson and the Falcons (1-2) face the New Orleans Saints (1-2) in an NFC South matchup on Monday, October 5, with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Coming off a big Week 3
Robinson's latest primetime outing came in Week 3, when the Falcons beat the Green Bay Packers 35-14 at Lambeau Field. He rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries and added two catches for 19 yards, totaling 213 yards from scrimmage. The win also marked the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who threw for 256 yards and a touchdown.
Over his last six primetime games, Robinson has averaged 185.8 scrimmage yards and topped 200 yards in each of his last two — something no player in NFL history has done three times in a row in primetime, according to NFL.com.
Production since entering the league
Since the Falcons drafted Robinson eighth overall in 2023, he leads the NFL with 6,115 yards from scrimmage, the only player in the league above 6,000 in that span. This season he again leads the league with 467 scrimmage yards through three games. Per Next Gen Stats, he is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and 4.9 yards after contact per carry, second-best among running backs with at least 25 carries this season.
Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. have both praised Robinson's consistency, while defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich called him one of the most talented players he has coached against.
Awards race
Despite his numbers, Robinson currently sits fourth in Offensive Player of the Year odds at DraftKings Sportsbook (+1200), trailing Seattle's Kenneth Walker III and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs, according to FOX Sports.
