Bijan Robinson breaks own Texas record, sets Falcons' franchise mark against Rams

Jeff Hauser

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Bijan Robinson breaks own Texas record, sets Falcons' franchise mark against Rams image

© Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Bijan Robinson keeps raising his own standard.

The former Texas star broke his own school record for the longest scoring play by a Longhorn in an NFL game and, in the process, set a new Atlanta Falcons franchise mark Monday night in a dominant prime-time performance against the Los Angeles Rams.

Robinson ripped off a 93-yard touchdown run in the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, surpassing the 81-yard run he notched earlier this season to set the Texas mark. The score capped a three-touchdown opening surge by Atlanta and pushed the Falcons to a 21-0 lead in a game that quickly felt like a blowout in the making. 

If records were hidden, the on-field product suggested Atlanta was the playoff contender and the Rams were searching for answers. Robinson’s burst and vision gave that impression.

“Bijan is the best player in football,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said at halftime. “We’ve been saying that for a long time.”

Robinson entered the night already in rare company. In a win earlier this season against Buffalo, he posted 238 yards from scrimmage on 19 carries for 170 yards and six receptions for 68 more, including an 81-yard touchdown run. Performances of that magnitude have occurred only a handful of times in the Super Bowl era. Monday night raised the bar again.

The 93-yard sprint also moved Robinson past some of the most iconic runners in Texas history in terms of single-play explosiveness at the professional level. Earl Campbell’s longest NFL run was an 81-yard touchdown in 1978. Priest Holmes topped out at 72 yards, while Ricky Williams’ longest NFL touchdown run went for 68.

Beyond the highlight, Robinson crossed into franchise history. Midway through the third quarter, he eclipsed the Falcons’ single-season scrimmage yards record of 2,176, set by William Andrews in 1983. Robinson reached the mark with two games still remaining, pushing past a standard that had stood since the organization’s early decades.

At 23, Robinson is in his third professional season and the same point at which Andrews had his record-setting year. The Falcons selected Robinson eighth overall in the 2023 NFL draft, and his progression has been steady and steep. After racking up 1,463 scrimmage yards as a rookie and 1,887 last season, he has expanded his impact this year as both a runner and receiver.

“I’m going to work as hard as I can to have the best performance for the team,” Robinson said. “To be that close to a record like that, it’s a blessing.”

On Monday night, he didn’t just get close. He ran past it.

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Contributing Writer