ATLANTA – Raheem Morris was feeling vindicated Monday night. The Atlanta Falcons head coach said in mid-September that he believed Bijan Robinson was the best player in football.
It felt premature at the time, but Robinson went head-to-head with the official best player in football on “Monday Night Football,” and he and the Falcons (3-2) came out on top in a 24-14 win over reigning MVP Josh Allen and the Bills.
“He’s the best player in football,” Morris said again Monday night. “I have said it multiple times, and I can’t say it enough.”
Robinson had a career-high 238 yards from scrimmage against the Bills, 1 yard short of this season’s highest total, the 239 yards gained by Carolina’s Rico Dowdle on Sunday. Robinson rushed 19 times for 170 yards (tying his career high) and caught six passes for 68 yards.
“Knowing him, he’s just going to say he gives all the glory to God,” quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said moments after Robinson had done just that from the same podium.
Robinson also praised, by name, wide receivers Drake London and Casey Washington, tight ends Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner and Teagan Quitoriano, offensive linemen Jake Matthews (who didn’t play in the second half due to an ankle injury), Matthew Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil, Chris Lindstrom and Elijah Wilkinson, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford and running backs coach Michael Pitre.
“When we talk about who he is, that’s who he is,” Penix Jr. said. “He’s a great teammate, a great leader and a hard worker, so it’s only right that he gets all these accolades.”
The accolades poured in Monday night, including from LeBron James, who posted “Bijan (is) so COLD!!!!!!!!!” on X.
Bijan so COLD!!!!!!!!! 🥶
— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 14, 2025
“Shoutout to LeBron,” Robinson said. “He gives me so much advice.”
James and Robinson are represented by KLUTCH Sports and have become friends. Robinson watched Ohio State’s college football national title victory over Notre Dame in James’ luxury suite at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in January. James’ most recent piece of advice for Robinson: “Continue to try to be the best in the league. I was just like, ‘I’m going to keep trying,’” the running back said.
He took a major step in that direction Monday night. Robinson now leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage (822) despite Atlanta already having had its bye week. He is third in the league in rushing (484 yards) and 25th in receiving (338), and he is the first player since Thurman Thomas in 1991 to have more than 450 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards in his first five games of the season, according to ESPN Insights. Thomas was named the NFL’s MVP that season.
“It’s like art,” said London, who had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown. “It’s amazing to see.”
Robinson became the second NFL player to have more than 170 rushing yards and 60 receiving yards in a prime-time game, joining Tiki Barber.
Penix Jr. struggled to explain it.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I see new stuff every day.”
The new thing Monday night was an 81-yard touchdown run, the longest play of Robinson’s career. His previous career-long carry was 38 yards. That touchdown gave Atlanta a 21-7 lead with 11:09 left in the second quarter and turned out to be all the points the Falcons needed. Atlanta finished the game with 443 total yards to Buffalo’s 291.
“It always feels like he’s going to break one of those every time he touches the ball,” Morris said. “We’ve been waiting on that.”
Michael Penix Jr.’s favorite Bijan moment happened during the MNF win 👀 pic.twitter.com/yMeAoyM0p2
— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2025
Robinson compared his game to a 3-point shooter who gets hot.
“When Steph Curry is in a groove, the basket looks this big to him,” he said with his arms forming a hoop.
Robinson watches highlights of running back greats regularly, including before every game. On Monday, it was clips from Adrian Peterson’s freshman season at the University of Oklahoma.
“He attacks downhill, and that’s the kind of game I had to play today,” Robinson said.
Robinson has had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in every game this season, and he’s had at least 90 yards from scrimmage in 11 straight games, the longest active streak in the league.
“I don’t want to be the guy who is saying, ‘I can’t be stopped.’ That’s not who I am,” Robinson said. “I have to continue getting better every single day, every single game. When you start thinking you can’t be stopped, that’s when you start playing bad and not giving full effort for your team, and you don’t even know it.”
Robinson’s performance was so sublime that it almost overshadowed a surprising defensive domination of Allen and the Bills. Atlanta intercepted Allen twice, sacked him four times and hurried him another six. The Falcons have now held their first five opponents to under 300 yards for the first time since 1998. They are the only team in the league to achieve that feat and one of only two not to allow a 200-yard passer this season. Allen finished with 180 through the air.
“When you play a team like that, a lot of teams kind of freeze in the light, and we didn’t do that,” linebacker Kaden Elliss said. “We held true to our identity and attacked, and I’m proud of that. Now it’s time to go do it again.”
