The New England Patriots’ defense will have its hands full when facing the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday.
New England became the first NFL team in 75 years to go the first eight games of the season without allowing 50 rushing yards to a single running back. That historic streak is in grave jeopardy when opposing Bijan Robinson.
The Patriots appear to be focused on containing the Falcons’ star. Courtesy of WEEI’s Tom Carroll, three different scout team players were wearing Robinson’s No. 7 on Thursday.
Before facing the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, Mike Vrabel remarked that any running back who could effectively replicate James Cook’s skill set wouldn’t be relegated to New England’s show team. The Patriots will prepare for Robinson as much as possible, but the same logic applies.
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Robinson enters Sunday’s showdown averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and he’s also a lethal pass-catching threat. The 2024 Pro Bowler leads all running backs with 413 receiving yards, giving him 962 scrimmage yards through seven games.
The Patriots can hope they’re catching Robinson at the right time. The former first-round pick has 65 combined rushing yards in his last two games after burning the Bills for 170 in a Week 6 upset.
Vrabel told reporters on Wednesday, per the team transcript, that Robinson will present “many” challenges to his defense.
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“I think if there’s any crack, he’s going to test our edge,” Vrabel said. “He’s going to test our wall, and he’s going to test everything we do about having guys swarming to the football. There have been some good defenses that he’s been able to gain yards against.”
Sunday’s game against the Falcons starts at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
