PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley just needed to watch a few minutes of highlights to know Bijan Robinson was going to be special. Robinson’s immediate success didn’t surprise Barkley in the slightest.
“He’s one of my favorite backs to watch,” Barkley said. “I remember I was watching his highlight tape on YouTube just this offseason. Big fan of his game, even since college. Future is bright for him.”
Of all the weapons the new-look Atlanta Falcons offense has to throw at the Philadelphia Eagles defense, Robinson is still the one to stop. Robinson had a strong rookie season despite the mishandling of the No. 8 overall pick by former head coach Arthur Smith. He finished with 214 carries for 976 yards and four touchdowns (4.6 yards per carry) while also racking up 58 receptions for 487 yards and four touchdowns. He finished with a franchise-record 1,463 yards from scrimmage for a rookie.
Robinson only needed one season to gain respect from opposing defenses.
“He can move. He’s fast, a home-run hitter, too, somebody who is trying to punish you because he’s a big guy,” Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham said. “We have to get numbers to the ball with this type of back. He didn’t go top 10 for no reason, so we have to make sure everything revolves around him.
“If we get him started, it’s going to be a long day. If we don’t, we allow Kirk Cousins to beat us. No team wants to get run on any way, so when you have a premier back like that you have to make sure you play team D [defense].”
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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/eagles-feel-they-have-answer-to-slow-down-falcons-rb-bijan-robinson-its-going-to-be-a-long-day-if-we-dont/
Author : Jeff Kerr
Publish date : 2024-09-14 16:29:22
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