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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Tyler Lauletta

The Falcons Finally Gave the Ball to Bijan Robinson at the Goal Line, and Everyone Yelled at Arthur Smith

For weeks, fans of the Atlanta Falcons have wanted one thing—a goal-line carry for rookie running back Bijan Robinson.

The Falcons spent the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Robinson, but despite investing so much equity in their rookie running back, head coach Arthur Smith seemed hesitant to give him the ball in the red zone.

Last week, the tension boiled over after the Falcons turned to running back Tyler Allgeier and even tight end Jonnu Smith for carries at the goal line, but not Robinson.

On Sunday against the Cardinals, Smith finally gave Robinson the chance to deliver in the end zone.

Guess what happened next?

Immediately, fans responded with a mix of relief that Robinson had finally gotten his red zone opportunity and frustration that it took 10 weeks of football to get here.

With Robinson finally hitting pay dirt when given the opportunity, one has to wonder if the red zone carries will keep coming. If they don't, Arthur Smith is going to have some more awkward questions to answer.

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