The quote circulated before the Atlanta Falcons opened the season on Sunday in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Just Beej It” is apparently the phrase going around the Falcons’ quarterback room.
What it means? When things go awry, give the ball to Bijan Robinson.
That’s exactly what the Falcons’ third-stringer-turned-starter Cooper Rush did on Sunday. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. were out. Rush saw the Steelers’ fierce pass rush running right at him, over and over. And so he just gave the ball to Bijan.
For Robinson, it meant a big statistical game.
For the Falcons as a whole? It didn’t work out.
Bijan Robinson’s Big Day
Robinson had 29 touches overall, even on a day when the Falcons didn’t have the ball very much.
He ran it 21 times for 83 yards, nearly four yards per carry.
He caught eight passes (on 10 targets) for 90 yards and a touchdown.
Robinson clearly was capable of making plays even when the Steelers’ defense knew where the ball was probably going.
The eight catches in particular paint the “Just Beej It” picture pretty clearly. Running backs don’t often catch the ball that much if QBs are finding options down the field, and looking down the field with confidence.
Rush, though, was more than happy to throw to Robinson.
An Overall Offensive Problem
The “Just Beej It” approach to this extreme means that Atlanta’s other weapons don’t get a chance to change the game.
Drake London had two catches on four targets (and one rushing attempt).
Kyle Pitts had zero catches on just one target.
Those two former a “Big Three” of sorts with Bijan, but they weren’t involved to the same extent as Robinson, not even close — and it might’ve cost the Falcons.
“The issues were obvious,” NFL.com’s Kevin Patra wrote on Monday. “Rush was inconsistent, missing targets and rarely threatening downfield. Ten of his 21 attempts came behind the line of scrimmage. With very little passing threat, the Steelers defense was able to prioritize slowing the ground attack. It was a testament to Robinson’s talent that he averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Until the Falcons QB situation is sorted, Atlanta will struggle to put up points.”
The hope for the Falcons is that Penix should be back sooner rather than later. He has a bigger arm and will likely look to push the football down the field.
Atlanta also can’t afford to give Robinson 29 touches in every game. It’s a long season, and they need to keep him at least somewhat fresh, especially ahead of a Week 3 quick turnaround to a Thursday night game.
No one blames Rush, or the Falcons’ other QBs, for wanting to give the ball to Robinson as much as possible. But even “Just Beej It” has its limits. Atlanta’s approach needs a bit of expansion to get into the win column.
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson Quote Backfires in Week 1