FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Bijan Robinson is in the midst of one of the best seasons by a Falcons running back in recent memory. He topped 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his young career during Atlanta's Week 15 win in Las Vegas and seemingly checking off a milestone each week not accomplished since the likes of Julio Jones or William Andrews.

A player of his draft pedigree comes with lofty expectations but Robinson has delivered through his first two seasons. He set the franchise record with 1,463 scrimmage yards as a rookie, including narrowly missing out on 1,000 rushing yards, finishing the season at 976. With 1,102 yards on the ground this season, Robinson ranks fifth in the NFL and has the highest rushing total through the first 15 weeks of a season by a Falcon since Michael Turner in 2011.

Robinson has the fifth-most rushing yards through the first 15 weeks of a season by any Falcon since 2000 and, according to Tru Media, his 1,102 rushing yards are the 12th most by a Falcon at this point in the season in team history. He accomplished that feat despite logging the fewest carries of any player on that list. Despite falling short of 1,000 yards as a rookie in 2023, Robinson's two-year totals are among the most impressive in the NFL over that span and put him in select company in club annals.

Entering Week 16, Robinson ranks fifth among running backs in rushing yards over the last two seasons with 2,078 on 451 carries. That is also the second-highest total in club history by a player in his first 31 career games. He sits shy of only Andrews who logged 2,331 rushing yards on 504 carries in his first two NFL seasons, 1979 and 1980. Andrews topped 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons, including rushing for a then-record 1,023 yards as a rookie.

It can be hard to grasp the measure of Robinson's accomplishments when the overall game results have been up and down. Yards are fun but wins are more fun. It's also easy to dismiss performance like this as simply meeting expectations for a player touted as a generational prospect, but the weight of Robinson's impact shouldn't be dismissed as box score minutia.

Coming out of Texas, Robinson was known for his highlight reel, almost videogame-like ability to change direction and make defenders miss. That skill translated to the NFL and has been vital to the Falcons offense. According to Next Gen Stats, he ranks second in missed tackle rate behind only Christian McCaffery (32.8%), forcing a missed tackle on 31.2% of his carries over the last two seasons.

Robinson's 140 missed tackles forced on designed runs are the third most in the NFL since 2023. He trails only Derrick Henry (150) and Kyren Williams (148) during that stretch. Robinson combines his ability to make defenders miss with great vision and speed. He ranks eighth in the NFL in yards after contact (1,472) and tied for fifth in explosive runs (52).

According to Next Gen Stats, Robinson breaks a run of 10 or more yards on 11.5% of his carries. The second year running back has hit at least 15 miles per hour on 116 of his 451 carries over the last two seasons, which leads the NFL over that span.

Following Atlanta's Monday night win in Las Vegas, the offensive line gathered to take a photo with the dynamic young playmaker to commemorate the shared achievement of Robinson topping 1,000 yards. That gesture symbolized the symbiotic relationship between the running back and his blockers. While Robinson is adept at making defenders miss, his offensive line has been one of the top units in the league at giving him room to run.

Through 15 weeks, he leads the league in average speed at the line of scrimmage (11.08 MPH) and ranks seventh in yards before contact (607). Additionally, Robinson has faced contact before the line of scrimmage at the fourth-lowest rate (36.4%) in the NFL over the last two seasons. All this to say the offensive line gives him clear rushing lanes to build speed and momentum before he meets a defender.

While Robinson topped 1,000 yards on the ground for the first time in his career this season, he has also shown up in a big way in the passing game. His 411 receiving yards rank fourth among running backs this season and he ranks third in the NFL in the same stat over the last two seasons (898).

Through 15 Weeks, Robinson has the third-most receiving yards by a Falcons running back through the first 15 weeks of a season since 2000. Robinson has totaled 1,513 total yards from scrimmage this season putting him 16 on the franchise's all-time list with three games left to play. He became the fastest Falcon running back to reach 1,500 scrimmage yards in a season since Warrick Dunn in 2005 (14 games).

Robinson has come into his own as a playmaker in his second season, showing that he can be relied on for the splash plays as well as the tough yards. When he is on the field, he is a threat to get the ball. And among his superpowers, is his consistency. He is the first Falcon since Julio Jones in 2018 to record 10 or more games with 100-plus scrimmage yards in a single season. Since 2023, Robinson is tied with Saquon Barkley for the most games with 100 yards from scrimmage (16) in the NFL.

Robinson's 2,976 combined rushing and receiving yards rank third among running backs and fourth overall over the last two seasons. Entering Week 16, Robinson sits just 24 yards shy of reaching 3,000 career scrimmage yards. He can become the fastest Falcon (32 games) to reach that mark since Andrews in 1980 (31 games).

The NFL season being 17 games now throws a bit a wrench into the works when it comes to historical comparisons but looking at player's first 28 games, for the 14-game season old heads, or their first 32 to adjust for the addition of the 17th game, Robinson is in select company when it comes to early career production. While he would need a monster game to best Andrews, Robinson's first two seasons put him up there with Falcons and NFL royalty.

The Kaden Elliss effect

Kaden Elliss. A name that many may not know but most certainly should. Since becoming a Falcon in 2023, the sixth-year linebacker has been a key piece of Atlanta's defense, being one of the most versatile and impactful players in that room.

Last season, he recorded single-season career highs in tackles (122), tackles for loss (11) and passes defensed (three), while adding six quarterback hits and four sacks. This season, he has already posted 123 tackles, which are the eighth most in the NFL and third most in the NFC, and his four sacks entering Week 16 are tied with his season total from 2023, having only played in 14 games. It is the first time in his career that he has registered at least 100 tackles in consecutive seasons.

Elliss has notched double-digit tackles in eight games this season, which is tied for the league lead with Colts' E.J. Speed and Chargers' Daiyan Henley, and he is one of two players in the NFL to have at least 100 tackles and four sacks this season per TruMedia.

One could argue that Elliss is having the most explosive season of his career. For inside linebackers who have played at least 500 snaps this season, he has the third highest tackle percentage (17.2%), behind Dallas' Eric Kendricks (19.0%) and Baltimore's Roquan Smith (18.4%), according to Next Gen Stats. Elliss is also seventh in the NFL and fourth in the NFC in stop percentage of such snaps.

Stop Percentage | Inside Linebackers

His versatility has been one that has become even more evident this season. He has been a force in affecting the quarterback this season, especially in these past few weeks. Elliss can play all over the line.

Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake has called him the 'green dot' this season, being one that can line up in a lot of different places and impact every spot he's in.

"We ask him to do a lot of different things, whether it's rushing the pass or covering somebody or going to help in zone coverage somewhere else," Lake said. "He's very intuitive. You just love coaching smart, tough football players, and Kaden Elliss is a smart, tough football player."

As we've seen, Atlanta's pass rush has definitely heated up these past few weeks. In Weeks 13-15 the Falcons defense has the highest sack percentage of 11.9%, per Next Gen Stats. The unit has registered 13 sacks in that span, the second most behind Dallas' 14.

NFL Sack Percentage | Weeks 13-15

The Falcons are the only team in the NFL with an active streak of at least four sacks in three consecutive games. Who is tied for the lead on the team in that span? Elliss.

He is not only tied for the team lead in sacks (three), but he also leads the team in quarterback hits with five in that span and quarterback pressure rate of 23.5% for Falcons that have played at least 30 pass rush snaps.

Elliss is tied for the highest number of quarterback pressures this season of inside linebackers, having notched 29 pressures through 14 games this season. He has the fourth-highest quarterback pressure rate of inside linebackers this season, having recorded a 28.6% rate for those that have played at least 500 snaps, per Next Gen Stats.

Quarterback Pressures | Inside Linebackers (Min. 500 snaps)

Elliss may not get credit for making the 'flashier' plays, but his ability to be versatile in Lake's defense has impacted many of the big stops and turnovers that we've seen the Falcons have, not only in the past few weeks but all season, and that won't stop as Atlanta makes its playoff push this final stretch of regular-season games.