Bijan Robinson becomes 3rd Falcons player with 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season

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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Bijan Robinson had about 200 family and friends in the stands to witness his return to the desert.

They got a chance to see the former Tucson high school star reach a milestone.

Robinson became the third player in Falcons history to eclipse 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season, finishing with 168 yards and a touchdown reception in Atlanta's 26-19 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

The do-everything running back rushed for 76 yards and caught seven passes for 92 yards. He has 2,026 total yards, joining Jamal Anderson (1998) and William Andrews (1981 and 1983) in the Falcons' 2,000-yard club. His 5,376 yards in three seasons is third-most in NFL history for a player aged 23 or younger.

“I meant a lot to me to do that in Arizona, in front of the people who supported me as a kid,” Robinson said. “It was a huge moment, not only for me but everyone who was watching.”

They've been watching since Robinson starred at Tucson's Salpointe Catholic High School. He went on to have a stellar college career at Texas and has continued to churn out yards since the Falcons selected him with the eighth overall pick of the 2023 draft.

This season has been his best yet.

A year after rushing for 1,456 yards, Robinson is within reach of a career high this season, at 1,250 yards with two games left. He's also become even more of a threat catching passes out of the backfield, pulling down 71 catches for 776 yards and three touchdowns after finishing with 64 catches for 684 yards a year ago.

Robinson is behind Christian McCaffrey (5,443) and Barry Sanders (5,391) for most scrimmage yards in NFL history before turning 24 — and he has two more weeks to add to those totals.

“I've got got a lot of love for that guy, what he brings to football team, not just as a player but a human,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said.

Robinson entered the game leading the NFL with an average of 132.7 scrimmage yards and again showed off his versatility against the Cardinals.

The 5-foot-10, 215-pounder caught a 41-yard pass in the second quarter, broke off an 11-yard run and capped the Bijan-only three-play drive by turning a swing pass into a 13-yard touchdown that pulled the Falcons within 13-10.

Robinson added a 29-yard run in a drive spanning the third and fourth quarters that led to a TD.

“Sometimes you think you’re going to have him bottled up and he makes productive plays,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said.

Next up is the Falcons' single-season record.

Andrews had 2,176 scrimmage yards in 1983, leaving Robinson 150 shy of the mark. The Falcons close out the season with home games against the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans, giving him a chance to notch another place in history in front of his new home fans.

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