The Atlanta Falcons spent Sunday watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do precisely what they couldn’t: run the football. After a 16-0 loss that left Atlanta without a point, Bijan Robinson didn’t try to dress up the difference.
The Falcons managed 99 rushing yards against Tampa Bay, their third-lowest total through eight games. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, ran for a franchise-record 324 yards in a game played through heavy rain. Robinson had a short answer when asked about his team’s inability to establish its usual identity.
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Sounds Off on Run Game Against Bucs
“That sucks. That’s all it is, man. We pride ourselves on running the football, and they did a good job on their side,” Robinson said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Darius Hayes.
Robinson finished with 76 yards on 19 carries, averaging four yards per attempt. His longest run gained 26 yards, meaning his other 18 carries accounted for only 50 yards.
It wasn’t Robinson’s season low. He ran for 61 yards against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 18 and 63 against the San Francisco 49ers a week later. He also had 72 yards against Carolina in September. Sunday’s 76 yards were his fourth-lowest total of the season.
Atlanta’s 99 team rushing yards weren’t a season low either. The Falcons had just 63 in their loss to Chicago and 82 against San Francisco. Still, it marked their third game in a row under 100 rushing yards as a team.
That makes the bigger problem harder to ignore. Atlanta entered the Tampa Bay matchup averaging nearly 140 rushing yards per game, with Robinson leading the league at 704. Since his 145-yard outing against New Orleans on Oct. 5, though, he hasn’t reached 100 yards in four straight games.
Bijan Robinson Sees Buccaneers Dominate Ground Game
The contrast was especially hard to miss because Tampa Bay barely used its passing game. Baker Mayfield attempted three passes and didn’t complete one, yet the Buccaneers still moved the ball on the ground.
Bucky Irving carried 27 times for 170 yards and the game’s lone touchdown. Kenny Gainwell added 140 yards, helping Tampa Bay break its previous single-game franchise rushing record of 283 yards.
Atlanta’s leading runner was left looking across the field at an opponent getting the kind of production the Falcons have built their own offense around.
Tampa Bay produced 15 rushing first downs to Atlanta’s five and held the ball for more than 35 minutes. The Buccaneers could keep running even with a narrow lead because Atlanta kept giving the ball back.
The conditions made establishing the run particularly important. Rain poured through much of the afternoon, and Michael Penix Jr. completed eight of 24 passes for 125 yards with four interceptions. The Falcons finished with eight first downs, went 0 for 12 on third down and never reached the end zone.
Tampa Bay entered the matchup allowing just 77.3 rushing yards per game, among the NFL’s best marks. Atlanta exceeded that figure as a team but couldn’t sustain drives or match the physical running attack on the other sideline.
There was a time earlier this season when the Falcons looked far different on the ground. Robinson ran for 194 yards against Green Bay and 145 against New Orleans in consecutive victories, giving Atlanta a reliable foundation as Penix settled into the offense.
Now the Falcons are 3-5, and Robinson’s frustration comes after another game in which that foundation wasn’t nearly strong enough.
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Has Blunt 2-Word Response After Ugly Bucs Loss