The Falcons raised eyebrows in Week 7 for how they handled their injury report. Running back Bijan Robinson, in particular, was not named despite feeling ill the night before the game. As a result, the league has imposed sanctions.
Following the NFL’s inquiry, the Falcons were fined $75K, and head coach Arthur Smith was fined another $25K. Robinson dressed for the game against the Buccaneers, although he later acknowledged that he was still suffering from headaches and a sickness. The first-round rookie played only 11 snaps and touched the ball once, a significant decrease from his usage throughout the rest of the season.
“A letter is usually required to respond to an inquiry.” “It wasn’t like a court case, there wasn’t a lot of time spent,” Smith said, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. “This is our interpretation. This was our intention. Nothing was done to attempt to manipulate the system, and I appreciated their point of view. So that was a lesson learned.”
In the absence of Robinson, the Falcons relied largely on Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield. The duo gained 115 yards on 31 carries, with Allgeier adding 53 yards on three catches. That output helped Atlanta win 16-13, and Smith emphasized the effectiveness of the team’s other alternatives in light of the decision to hold Robinson out for much of the game. Robinson has received 20 or more touches three times this season, but he has also received fewer than 15 touches five times (including Week 7).
That variation is due in part to Atlanta’s depth at running back and the team’s desire to avoid overusing the highly touted Texas alum. Robinson leads the Falcons in rushing yards with 801, and the Falcons are ninth in the league in overall ground production (126 yards per game). In terms of usage and playing time, the 21-year-old has been a big offensive contributor since Week 7.
The NFL has routinely imposed financial fines for similar injury/illness reporting infractions. According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a number of fines were levied against teams and head coaches in 2019 for incorrect injury reporting. The Falcons and Smith have now been added to the list as the season enters its final three games.
Leave a Reply