New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu had an up-close and personal view of Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson's greatness last season. Robinson dominated the Saints in his rookie campaign, to the tune of 254 total yards and three touchdowns across two games.
Appearing on retired defensive end Chris Long's Green Light Podcast, Mathieu compared the division rival to a couple legendary running backs. He also mentioned that Robinson, who is shooting for 2,000 yards this season, was misused by the Falcons coaching staff last year. Was the “Honey Badger” right in his claims? Now that Robinson will be working with a new staff, will his full potential be realized?
Robinson dominating the Saints showed a glimpse of his potential
Mathieu is one of many people in the football world who think that Arthur Smith's staff somewhat wasted a generational talent.
“He’s going to be special,” Mathieu said. “Marshall Faulk, you know. Edgerrin James, you know what I mean? Like, LaDainian Tomlinson, you know? And I didn’t think the Falcons really used him as good as they should have last year, but, man, he’s going to be good. He’s going to be real good.”
Robinson was humble about his usage last season, despite many fans and pundits bemoaning his under-utilization.
“I never wanna be the guy to talk about touches,” Robinson told NBC Sports' Mike Florio after the Falcons' Week 11 victory over the Saints. “I just know that whatever touches I do get, I have to make the most of it.”
After recording 123 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in the 24-15 victory, Robinson could've easily pointed out how much better the team is when he's the offensive focal point. However, the Texas alum chose to take the high road, displaying his maturity and unselfishness.
While Robinson's attitude was admirable, the former eighth-overall pick had reasons to be upset. At that point in the season, Robinson averaged five yards a carry, while backup tailback Tyler Allegeier had just 3.5. However, Robinson had just six more carries than Allegeier, despite clearly being the most explosive player.
Many analysts have gathered data that supports Mathieu's statement. Robinson had a superior yards before contact rate to Allgeier, as well as several other stats, via CBS Fantasy's Jacob Gibbs.
With Raheem Morris and company taking over in Atlanta, it remains to be seen whether or not Robinson's usage will change. What is clear, though, is that “B-Rob” is a special talent who shouldn't be wasted.
Did Mathieu overrate Robinson with Hall-of-Fame comparisons?
Some may think that Mathieu might have been a little too friendly to Robinson after likening him to three NFL legends. However, Robinson's 4.6 yards a carry as a rookie bested Faulk (4.1), James (4.2) and Tomlinson (3.6) in their first campaigns. Health permitting, there's nothing stopping the second-year player from reaching those lofty heights, besides under-utilization. Luckily, Morris seems to recognize Robinson's potential.
“Bijan is special,” Morris said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “… The character of the human and what he’s done. You’ve got to give (credit) to the people who were here before us and what they’ve been able to bring into this building. Bijan is one of those special talents, who can be a special player for a long time in this league.”
Of course, Morris will have to back up that sentiment by fully unleashing Robinson this season. If he does so, then there are no limits to how impactful the dynamic playmaker could become.
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