Bijan Robinson stats: Why Falcons RB's production is down despite increased usage

It's been an interesting start to the sophomore season of Falcons RB Bijan Robinson.

After racking up 1,463 all-purpose yards and scoring eight touchdowns as a rookie, Robinson has not exactly shown the anticipated leap in production in Year 2. While Atlanta invested big money and draft capital to revamp its QB room in the offseason, new head coach Raheem Morris maintained that the team would get Robinson the ball "as much as possible" in 2024.

Through four weeks of the season, Robinson's touches mirror those of last season, but his numbers do not. Robinson has carried the ball 55 times and caught 15 passes and, while his 359 all-purpose yards are on pace to match his 2023 production, his one touchdown is not.

Here is more on what has impacted Robinson's production in 2024.

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Bijan Robinson's stats: Why production is down despite increased usage

Robinson's usage may be up but there are a few contributing factors to his production, one of which being the sharing of responsibilities with RB Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier has not carried the ball nearly as much as Robinson, but Allgeier is averaging two more yards per carry.

There is no denying that Robinson is Atlanta's feature back, but situational implementation has resulted in different looks. With a new coaching staff comes a new system, and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has shared that Bijan Robinson's production is largely dependent on a breakout, explosive play.

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"He's a threat at any time to have an explosive play which is huge for a running back," Atlanta's OC said after a narrow Week 4 win over New Orleans. "Any time you can hand the ball to a back and he can pop a run for 15-20 yards. I think we're still close to popping 40-50 yards with him."

It is worth noting that the Falcons offense as a whole has yet to find its groove. Through four games, the offense has scored just five touchdowns. In their 26-24 win over the Saints, a defensive touchdown, a special teams touchdown and four field goals from Younghoe Koo provided the scoring.

The Falcons have also faced three top-eight run defenses (Steelers, Saints, Chiefs) through four games. Only the Eagles were a below-average opponent vs. the run, and Robinson gashed them for 97 yards on 14 carries, nearly breaking several carries for even bigger gains. 

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Bijan Robinson stats

Over four games in 2024, Robinson has rushed 55 times for 224 yards and one touchdown. He has also caught 15 passes for 135 yards. However, his targets per game are down from 5.1 to 4.0, which is surprising given his unique and explosive ability as a pass-catcher. That can likely be chalked up to offensive philosophy, and it might be something that continues all year. He's been more efficient in the receiving game, though, as his total touches are up from 16.0 per game in 2023 to 17.5 per game in 2024. 

There's much more behind the numbers, though.

Robinson had solid games on the ground in Week 1 and Week 2, where he rushed for 68 and 97 yards, respectively. In Week 3, he managed just 31 yards on 16 carries, and in Week 4, carried the ball just seven times for 28 yards.

While Week 4 was Robinson's worst as a runner, it was his best as a receiver. He caught four passes for a season-high 46 yards, including a 26-yard catch-and-run, showcasing how dependent he is on big plays in the receiving game.

The variance in numbers is indicative of a system implemented by a new coaching staff and a new QB who is learning their team. At some point, the touchdown "luck" will even out, and given Robinson's skill set, bigger plays will likely follow as the matchups get easier.