Falcons MVP for Week 6: A symphony on the ground

Sometimes MVP stands for Most Valuable Persons. This is a rule I just came up with this week as I plan to present the award to multiple people at the same time.

The Falcons last ran for over 200 yards in late November 2023 and have had major problems on the ground in recent weeks, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier completely failing against the Buccaneers. Atlanta flipped the script this week, going from passing for victory to galloping against a Panthers defense that was equal parts hurt and weak up front.

The end result was a well-called, well-blocked try, with great credit to Zac Robinson (who was more willing to run up the middle, wise in his choice of spots) and the line (who were excellent). But of course all of this is just the basics for runners, and both Bijan and Allgeier were great.

Robinson had numerous eye-opening runs where he left defenders in the dirt while passing through contact for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, an average of 6.3 yards per carry. Allgeier did exactly what Allgeier does on his best days: He played through an incredible amount of contact – I swear he broke five tackles in one play – and rushed for 105 yards and his first touchdown of 2024, an average of 5 .8 yards per dead equals. The duo combined for 210 yards, 18 of Atlanta's 38 points and demoralized Carolina's defense in slow motion.

The Falcons have a ton of talent on offense, and when everything works together well, they can do great things on the ground and in the air. On a day like this, when two defenders are having great days and everything is working so well, the MVP goes to the entire Hydra and not to one of their heads.