After curiously receiving just one carry in Atlanta’s 16-13 victory over Tampa Bay in Week 7, rookie running back Bijan Robinson has been more involved over the past two weeks.
But Robinson still hasn’t received as many touches as one might expect for a running back selected in the top 10.
He had 11 carries for 62 yards with a touchdown in the 28-23 Week 8 loss to Tennessee along with no catches on five targets. Then in Sunday’s 31-28 loss to Minnesota, he rushed 11 times for 51 yards and caught two passes on four targets for 8 yards.
Robinson has recorded over 100 yards from scrimmage twice this season — back in Week 2 and Week 4. He’s received 20 touches just once, in the Sept. 17 victory over Green Bay.
Head coach Arthur Smith was asked on Monday if Robinson is healthy, to which Smith said yes and pointed to Robinson’s Sunday snap count. The running back was on the field for 61 percent of the offensive plays, with Tyler Allgier at 35 percent and Cordarrelle Patterson at 13 percent.
Plus, Smith noted, Robinson’s presence in and of itself can be a factor for the offense.
“Sometimes, his impact away from the ball can open things up,” Smith said in his press conference. “For any rookie, the seasons are long. You’re going to have ebbs and flows. He still has a huge impact on the game.
“He’s got 700 yards [from scrimmage]. You’re still looking for ways, and you know it’s a long journey. We’ll see how this second half of the season goes. But he’s been a huge part of our offense and he’ll continue to be.”
Smith pointed to a screen to tight end Jonnu Smith where a safety paused to make sure Robinson didn’t get the ball as an example of the impact he has. There’s also a balance of making sure the team doesn’t overuse Robinson with a 17-game season plus a potential playoff appearance if things go the way Atlanta intends.
“It’s a long game. Seventeen [games] and you want to play more,” Smith said. “We have the opportunity to do that, even as frustrated as you can feel on Monday or after a game like that. So yeah, that’s the evolution of it.
“Now’s the time. We’ve got a one-game season. We’ve got to lock in on Arizona and thankfully, we have a bye after that, which will come at a good time. We can take advantage of it. But yes, as we continue to push it here for all of us, we’ll see. With the health of Drake [London], we get him back this week, and we’ll see.”
In nine games, Robinson has 714 yards from scrimmage — 517 rushing, 197 receiving on 28 catches — with one rushing touchdown and two receiving scores.