Bijan Robinson was shown up close on the camera on the ESPN broadcast ready to go into the football game.
There was less than a minute until halftime, and the Atlanta Falcons had a chance to let their superstar RB try to break a long run.
But then Bijan heard a voice and didn’t go anywhere.
He high-fived Brian Robinson Jr., who trotted onto the field instead.
There was Bijan, remaining on the sideline.
For those watching, considering the monster first half Bijan was having, it may have been a bit confusing.
Why Was Brian Robinson In Over Bijan?
The key here was the circumstance after the Saints punt.
The Falcons had the ball at their own 8-yard line.
They were already up 24-7.
And they had essentially decided they didn’t need more points in this spot.
So instead of putting Bijan at injury risk, they let Brian carry the ball once to start the drive.
The Saints did use a timeout then, as they had three left, but once a short Michael Penix pass to Drake London went for a first down, the teams both let the first-half clock run out.
This was a means simply of ensuring Bijan was healthy for the whole second half.
Because of ESPN’s camera usage, it looked extra weird, but the Falcons did a logical thing to essentially run out the half, and do it with their veteran backup RB.
Bijan Robinson 1st-Half Stats
Robinson had already showed how special he was in the first half.
He ran for a 59-yard touchdown on his very first carry.
Bijan finished the first half with 12 runs for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
He actually didn’t even have any receiving, but he had only been targeted once. The Falcons were doing just fine on the ground.
Brian Robinson was having a solid half, too, with nine runs for 35 yards and a TD of his own to go with a five-yard catch.
The running game had led the Falcons, but Penix was also 10-for-15 for 125 yards with a 92.4 quarterback rating in the first half.
On a night the Saints were celebrating their 20th anniversary of rebirth after Hurricane Katrina, the Falcons were playing spoiler, led by Bijan Robinson.
Why Brian Robinson Got Carries Over Bijan To End 1st Half For Falcons