MVP? Bijan Robinson’s Iconic 238-Yard Night Against Bills Helps Him Rewrite NFL History

Bijan Robinson is slowly building a strong case for himself as the first non-QB who could become NFL MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

MVP? Bijan Robinson’s Iconic 238-Yard Night Against Bills Helps Him Rewrite NFL History

Bijan Robinson (Image via IMAGO)

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Fresh off recording 181 total yards in a win against the Washington Commanders, running back Bijan Robinson wasted no time breaking it when the Atlanta Falcons hosted Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. Robinson’s performance elevated his status in the NFL MVP race.

The Bills were 5.5-point favorites ahead of kickoff on Monday despite coming off their first defeat of the season just a few days earlier. Moreover, the AFC franchise had won the last two fixtures against the Falcons, and one of those wins came in Atlanta.

Robinson had a different plan in his mind. While the Falcons’ defense negated Allen’s offensive prowess, the 23-year-old rusher scored an 81-yard touchdown following a 21-yard opener by his teammate Tyler Allgeier.

Michael Penix Jr.’s handoff set off Robinson on his way. He avoided being tackled by Bills safety Cole Bishop to score the Falcons’ second and the game’s third TD.

The play was so good that even NBA legend LeBron James couldn’t stop himself from praising the third-year speedster.

Bijan Robinson etched his name into the Falcons’ record book

After going 143 rushing yards in the week two win over the Vikings, Robinson dropped to just 72 as the Falcons went scoreless against the Panthers a week later. The outcome shocked everyone, considering Atalanta started as heavy favorites to beat their divisional rivals.

MVP? Bijan Robinson's Iconic 238-Yard Night Against Bills Helps Him Rewrite NFL History
#9 Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and #7 Bijan Robinson (Image via IMAGO)

Robinson bounced back against the Commanders and then recorded 238 scrimmage yards against the Bills. He rushed 19 times for 170 yards and one score, along with catching 6 passes for 68 yards—1 yard shy of Rico Dowdle’s total against the Dallas Cowboys.

According to the Falcons’ research team, Robinson has recorded at least 100 scrimmage yards five times this year, tying with former running back William Andrews’ record from the 1983 season.

[Bijan’s] the best player in football. I’ve said it multiple times. I can’t say it enough. You can always have your pick. You can always go out there and figure out who you want to vote for, but in my opinion, he’s the best player in football.

Raheem Morris said after the Falcons secured a 14-24 win to go 3-2 for the season (H/T: NFL.com)

After five games, Bijan Robinson’s total stands at 83 carries for 484 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 24 receptions on 31 targets for 338 yards and 1 receiving touchdown. BetMGM tweeted that Robinson is the fastest player ever to reach 450+ rushing yards and 300+ receiving yards in a season.

According to Rotowire’s metrics, Robinson has +15000 odds (15th best) to clinch the 2025-26 NFL MVP title. The season’s only a quarter of the way in, and there’s plenty of football left to be played. He could easily improve his odds by achieving similar numbers in the remaining fixtures.

Robinson played college football for the Texas Longhorns after turning down Ohio State and Penn State. During his three-year stint in the SEC, Robinson racked up 539 carries for 3410 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns, along with 60 receptions for 805 yards and 8 receiving touchdowns in 31 appearances.

The Falcons selected Robinson 8th overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Since then, he has made 39 appearances in the league, racking up 2946 yards on 601 carries (15.4 yards per carry), 20 rushing touchdowns, and 143 receptions for 1256 yards and 6 receiving touchdowns.

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