FLOWERY BRANCH — Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is off to a stronger start than Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Falcons took Robinson with the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft this year, the Lions selected Gibbs four picks later. Both have played key roles early in the season as the Falcons (2-0) are set to face the Lions (1-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ford Field in Detroit.
Robinson, who is listed as 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, has rushed 29 times for 180 yards and caught 10 of 11 targets for 75 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons. Gibbs, 5-9 and 200 pounds, has rushed 14 times for 59 yards and caught nine of 11 targets for 57 yards for the Lions.
“We’ve known each other since we were in high school,” Robinson said. “Just going out there playing up against each other, I think it’s going to be pretty fun to get to see him again. His running back coach in college (Tashard Choice at Georgia Tech) was my running back coach my last year (at Texas). It’s going to be fun to get to play each other. I know that coach Choice is going to be proud as well.”
Robinson is pleased with his fast start.
“It’s been amazing,” Robinson said. “We are just working hard. We have a great opponent that’s about to come and give us their best shot. We just have to go out there and be ready.”
With David Montgomery dealing with a thigh injury, Gibbs may get more action against the Falcons.
“You’re always going to be excited when you get to play some more and touch the ball more,” Gibbs told the Associated Press. “I’ll be pretty amped up.”
Robinson is being compared widely to some of the all-time great running backs.
“To me Bijan Robinson is LaDainian Tomlinson,” said Ryan Clark on “Inside the NFL.” “They were very similar coming out of college. They’re guys who can break the long run. But it’s also about contact balance. And both of them are stronger than you think.”
Robinson had 19 carries for 124 yards rushing in the 25-24 win over the Packers.
“Bijan Robinson when you look at what he was able to do on that fourth down and those moves,” Clark said. “Go back to Game 1, he gets the catch out of the backfield in the (flat). The step back to get into the end zone. These are all things we watched LaDainian Tomlinson do throughout his Hall of Fame career.”
Clark, who played cornerback for 13 seasons in the NFL, believes his comparison is supported by the early season evidence.
“I know every now and then you throw around these names and people are like, ‘Oh, no. You can’t compare him to that guy,’” Clark said. “I believe that this comparison is warranted.”
A slow-motion video of Robinson slicing through the Packers defense has gone viral on the internet.
“It’s ridiculous, the stuff he’s able to do,” Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said. “It just makes you as an offensive lineman, be really appreciative of him and everything that he does. You just want to block harder. Finish more.”
That chemistry between Robinson and his line should continue to improve.
“We know that if we are assignment-sound, he’s going to have an opportunity to make a play,” Lindstrom said. “So, we are just trying to make sure that we cover up everybody that we’re supposed to. He’s phenomenal.”
Robinson is a hard worker, too.
“He’s just always here,” Lindstrom said. “He’s here early. He’s here on off-days. He’s working really hard. The approach that he has to different adversities that come up or challenges that Coach puts on him, or he puts on himself, stuff that comes up, but he’s able to respond every single day. It’s awesome. It just speaks to his maturity.”
Robinson has earned the trust of the Falcons’ offensive hierarchy.
“For us, regardless of the year of the player, or what position he plays, there is a standard with which we want to operate offensively,” Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone said. “With that standard comes a level of professionalism. Understanding your job that you are responsible for, accountable for and what you do on the practice field. So, that instills trust.”
“If you’re going to go out there, we have trust in you. That’s how we go about our business.”
Gibbs, who was the GHSA Class 6A offensive player of the year as a senior in 2019, is from Dalton. He started his career at Georgia Tech and he later transferred to Alabama.
“Another ultra-talented player,” Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen said. “Quick. Explosive. Really good back running the football and then also out of the backfield.”
The Lions may have to put more on Gibbs’ plate if Montgomery is slowed.
“He’s an electric player,” Nielsen said. “He’s got great speed. Second game, going into game three, you saw him progress from his first game to his second game. You saw him get better on tape.”
Against the Chiefs, the Lions tried to get the ball in space, while Montgomery handled the between-the-tackles chores.
“He is a quick, active football player that causes some matchup issues,” Nielsen said of Gibbs. “Things out of the backfield that he does very well. You can feel that when he comes out of the backfield. He’s got a very good knack with his route tree and things like that. So, it will be a good challenge.”
