Football fans could be in for treat when the Buffalo Bills take on the Atlanta Falcons for Week 6 of Monday Night Football. There may be plenty of offensive fireworks with two legitimate candidates for Offensive
Player of the Year (OPotY). While recent history has shown us that the NFL Most Valuable Player Award goes to a quarterback, the OPotY award instead honors the game’s most talented and productive skill players.
That’s where running backs James Cook and Bijan Robinson enter the conversation. Both just won Offensive Player of the Month in their respective conference (Cook-AFC; Robinson-NFC). However all eyes should be on Robinson, who’s off to a truly hot start to the season.
His 146 scrimmage yards per game ranks first in the NFL. He’s a highly effective dual-threat player who’s well-integrated as both a runner and passer, which sets him apart from Cook. Robinson can get the ball out of the backfield on a screen or swing pass but the Falcons will also line him out wide as a receiver to try and get him a more favorable matchup in man coverage. Robinson had six catches for 100 receiving yards in Week 1 and then four catches for 106 receiving yards in Week 4, averaging roughly 21 yards per catch.
That saw Robinson become just the fifth running back in the Super Bowl era with at least 100 receiving yards in two of his team’s first four games of the season. If Robinson is able to get another 100-yard receiving game he would become just the fifth running back in the past 30 seasons to do so. The last running back to do it was Austin Ekeler in 2019 playing for the Chargers when they were still in San Diego.
Other running back greats to have accomplished the three-game 100-yard receiving feat are Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (1998, Indianapolis Colts), Richie Anderson (2000, New York Jets), and Arian Foster (2011, Houston Texans).
If Robinson is able to keep this pace up he’ll make a strong case for offensive player of the year as well as prepping himself for a massive contract extension even after just three seasons in the NFL. With the Bills’ subpar rushing defense, there’s a good chance Robinson may fill up the stat sheet on a national stage.
