Atlanta Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Goes On Rant On Lack Of Bijan Robinson Red Zone Touches

Getty Image / Justin Ford

Atlanta Falcons fans and fantasy owners alike have been disappointed with the amount of touches rookie running back Bijan Robinson is getting, especially in the red zone. The eighth-overall picks in the 2023 NFL Draft is the most talented player on the offense, but that’s not the case

On Wednesday, maligned Falcons coach Arthur Smith spoke out about what’s going on with Robinson’s red zone touches and overall use in the game plan. Take a listen to this five-minute diatribe.

First off, that body language by Arthur Smith is not very good at all. He’s mumbling, not really speaking clearly at all, and is not articulate whatsoever.

He points out that the team has scored touchdowns on 14 of 28 red zone possessions, which is not very good. That puts them at tied for 19th in the league. When you consider the talented players in that offense that should be good in the red zone like Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts, that’s pretty pathetic.

As for Robinson’s usage, it’s just not good at all. He’s one of the best running back prospects in the last decade, good enough for the Falcons to make him a top-ten pick in an era when the position is devalued. And, through eight games (Robinson has played in all nine but only played a few snaps in week 7 against the Buccaneers), he’s averaging just 18.7 touches per game. Robinson has only had one game with more than 14 carries, and the majority of goal line touches are going to Tyler Allgeier. Robinson only has one rushing touchdown, while Allgeier has 3. Neither of those totals are particularly good, but there’s no reason that Tyler Allgeier is getting more goal line touches than Bijan Robinson.

Still, the Falcons, at 4-5, are somehow still in the hunt for a playoff spot in the NFC South. But, they’re going to have to get better in the red zone, and to do that, they need to feed Bijan.