Bengals spoil Falcons RB Bijan Robinson's big day

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bengals spoil Falcons RB Bijan Robinson's big day

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 8, 2026 1:24 PM ET

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said he needed "to be better" heading into a Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid.

Robinson, who is already fantastic, was better on Sunday. Still, that wasn't enough to lift the Falcons to an upset win over the Bengals.

Bengals spoil Bijan Robinson's big day

Robinson, who entered Week 9 leading the NFL in rushing yards (780 on 150 carries), ran for 100 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown against the Bengals. He also had six receptions for 47 yards.

Robinson broke a streak of four straight games where the RB failed to score a TD and ran for 100-plus yards for the third time this season. However, he couldn't single-handedly overpower one of the league's most high-powered offenses.

Bijan runs the wheel route and converts on third down

CINvsATL on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/LwJDGTDW3W
— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2026

Led by quarterback Joe Burrow and star wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals outgained the Falcons 388-319 in a 34-17 win. Burrow threw three TDs, two to Higgins and one to Chase.

Joe Burrow is UNSTOPPABLE

22/27
258 Pass Yards
4 Total TD
143.5 Pass Rating pic.twitter.com/ZFY2QWRivK
— PFF (@PFF) November 8, 2026

The Bengals are now 6-2 heading into their Week 10 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. The Falcons, meanwhile, are 3-6 heading into a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Falcons will benefit from being in the NFC South, perhaps the NFL's weakest division, but building the momentum needed for a late-season playoff push will be challenging given their remaining schedule. Tankathon tabs it as the seventh-most difficult in the NFL.

Atlanta is struggling to win games when Robinson is generating monster numbers. It'll be hard for him to keep doing so during this stretch, raising more concerns about the Falcons' playoff chances.

Robinson feels he needs to do more for the Falcons, but it seems the Falcons need to do more for him. The fourth-year RB is carrying the team, and his efforts will go unrewarded if it misses the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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