ATL Atlanta Falcons · RB· #15 · also kick returner

Brian Robinson

Age
27
Height
6'1"
Weight
228 lbs
College
Alabama
Drafted
2022, No. 98 overall (WAS)
Experience
5th NFL season

54

Overall grade

20th of 54 running backs

Above typical

about average; 50 is average

Grades updated Rechecked every few hours on game days

The read

Brian grades about average among running backs so far, with no number far from the middle.

Written from his numbers, not from film. 5 games are behind the season figures.

How he stacks up

Every graded stat at a glance, against all the running backs in the league.

  • EPA per carry+0.094th of 54small sample
  • Yards after contact2.6 yds7th of 51small sample
  • Success rate43%15th of 54small sample
  • Stuffed runs16%20th of 54small sample
  • Explosive runs5.9%38th of 54small sample
  • Broken tackles2.3 per 10042nd of 51

Left is the worst at his job, right is the best, and the line down the middle is average. The bubble is his percentile: 90 means better than nine in ten qualifying running backs. Faded bars are still small samples.

How he has progressed

Where he has ranked among running backs after each week, and every game behind it.

WorstMiddleBestrecent12345Week 2: 73rd percentileWeek 3: 97th percentileWeek 4: 100th percentileWeek 5: 94th percentile94th

Season rank climbed: 73rd to 94th percentile since Wk 2.

The line is his season-to-date rank among players at his position after each week, from 100 (the best) to 0 (the worst). It rises when he passes other players, not when he has one big game. Early weeks are noisier because fewer plays are behind them. The shaded weeks are the recent stretch.

EPA per carry game by game
WeekOpponentThat gamecarriesSeason rank after
1vs PIT−0.129–
2vs CAR+0.071173rd pct
3vs GB+0.331097th pct
4vs NO+0.4014100th pct
5vs BAL−0.57794th pct

One game is a small sample: a single stat over 10 carries can swing on a handful of plays. Shaded rows are the recent stretch.

The numbers, in context

Each one against every running back with at least 20 carries. Right on the strip is better.

EPA per carry

Elite

+0.09

4th of 54 running backs · top 8%

Expected points added: how many points the play added to (or took from) the offense's scoring chances, given the down, the distance and the field position. A 4-yard run on 3rd-and-8 loses points even though it gains yards.

The box score: Yards per carry credits a 5-yard run on 3rd-and-15 and ignores the goal-line carry that scores.

Does it show up in winning? Across 153 games league-wide, teams won 60% of the time when their running back was in the best third on EPA per carry, and 46% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: +0.08 (21) vs +0.10 before−4.8grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 51 carries · true level likely −0.13 to +0.32

Success rate

Above typical

43%

15th of 54 running backs · top 28%

How often a carry gains enough to keep the offense on schedule.

The box score: Rushing yards pile up on carries that did not help.

Does it show up in winning? Across 153 games league-wide, teams won 67% of the time when their running back was in the best third on success rate, and 49% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 43% (21) vs 43% beforeevenWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 51 carries · true level likely 32% to 55%

Explosive runs

Below typical

5.9%

38th of 54 running backs · bottom 32%

The share of his carries that go 10 yards or more.

The box score: A long run is in the yardage total but its frequency is not.

Does it show up in winning? Across 153 games league-wide, teams won 74% of the time when their running back was in the best third on explosive runs, and 45% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 4.8% (21) vs 6.7% before−2.6grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 51 carries · true level likely -0.2% to 12.0%

Yards after contact

Well above typical

2.6 yds

7th of 51 running backs · top 14%

Yards he gains per carry after the first defender touches him. The blockers have done their job by then; this part is the back.

The box score: Rushing yards credit the line and the back alike.

Does it show up in winning? Across 128 games league-wide, teams won 71% of the time when their running back was in the best third on yards after contact, and 50% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 2.5 yds (14) vs 2.6 yds before−4.7grade points downWithin the noise

Small sample: could move a lot · 44 carries · true level likely 1.8 yds to 3.3 yds

Broken tackles

Well below typical

2.3 per 100

42nd of 51 running backs · bottom 20%

Tackles he breaks per 100 carries, as charted by Pro Football Reference.

The box score: A broken tackle is not recorded anywhere in the box score.

Does it show up in winning? Across 128 games league-wide, a good or bad game on broken tackles from a running back has not lined up much with his team winning (62% wins in the best third, 55% in the worst).

Last 2 games: 0.0 per 100 (14) vs 3.3 per 100 before−2.8grade points downWithin the noise

Sample still growing · 44 carries · true level likely -1.5 per 100 to 6.0 per 100

Stuffed runs

Above typical

16%lower is better

20th of 54 running backs · top 38%

The share of his carries that gain nothing or lose yards. Fewer is better, and the line shares the blame.

The box score: Hidden inside the yards per carry.

Does it show up in winning? Across 153 games league-wide, a good or bad game on stuffed runs from a running back has not lined up much with his team winning (60% wins in the best third, 53% in the worst).

Last 2 games: 10% (21) vs 20% before+13.9grade points upLeaning that way

Small sample: could move a lot · 51 carries · true level likely 7% to 24%

How he plays

Tendencies: how his game differs from the running backs around him. These are not better or worse, only different, and often say as much about the offense or defense he plays in as about him.

Yards before contact

Style

1.8 yds

Gets little room, more than most running backs. A typical one is 2.3 yds.

Yards per carry before a defender touches him. That is mostly the line and the scheme, so it is shown, not graded.

Sample still growing · 44 carries

Runs to the edge

Style

21%

Right around the middle of running backs: a typical one is 25%.

The share of his carries run around the end instead of between the tackles.

Sample still growing · 42 carries

Carries from shotgun

Style

22%

Runs from under center, more than most running backs. A typical one is 34%.

The share of his carries that start with the quarterback in shotgun, a sign of what kind of run game he lives in.

Sample still growing · 51 carries

Playing time

He has played in 4 of his team's 4 games with snap counts, on the field for about 36% of the team's offensive plays when he plays.

Each column is a game: the share of his team's offensive snaps he played. 80% means about 8 of every 10 plays. “Out” means he did not play; a question mark means snap counts are not posted yet. Shaded games are the recent stretch.

Game by game

Every game this season: how it ended for his team, how much he played, his box score, and the advanced numbers from that one game. One game is a small sample, so read the right-hand columns as a snapshot, not his level.

Brian Robinson game by game
GameResultSnapsCarYdsTDEPA/carrySuccess10+ yd runsYAC/carry
Wk 1 vs PITL 13–2025%9310−0.1233%11.1%2.2 yds
Wk 2 vs CARL 3–3448%11510+0.0736%0.0%1.8 yds
Wk 3 vs GBW 35–1427%10501+0.3360%10.0%3.8 yds
Wk 4 vs NOW 45–2442%14623+0.4064%7.1%2.5 yds
Wk 5 vs BALL 23–30–7160−0.570%0.0%–

The box score

The traditional totals, with where each ranks among running backs. A total rewards volume, which is why the advanced numbers above matter.

Brian Robinson box score totals
StatTotalRank
Carries5130th of 54
Rushing yards21030th of 54
Rushing touchdowns46th of 54

Players with a similar profile

The running backs whose grades are closest to his across the same stats. Similar means similar numbers, not the same style of play.

As a kick returner

Points added and yards gained on kickoff returns.

The read

Brian grades well above average among kick returners so far, with no number far from the middle.

Written from his numbers, not from film. 3 games are behind the season figures.

How he stacks up

Every graded stat at a glance, against all the kick returners in the league.

  • Yards per return29.8 yds6th of 53small sample
  • EPA per return+0.448th of 53small sample

Left is the worst at his job, right is the best, and the line down the middle is average. The bubble is his percentile: 90 means better than nine in ten qualifying kick returners. Faded bars are still small samples.

How he has progressed

Where he has ranked among kick returners after each week, and every game behind it.

WorstMiddleBestrecent12345Week 3: 80th percentileWeek 5: 87th percentile87th

Season rank holding near the 87th percentile since Wk 3.

The line is his season-to-date rank among players at his position after each week, from 100 (the best) to 0 (the worst). It rises when he passes other players, not when he has one big game. Early weeks are noisier because fewer plays are behind them. The shaded weeks are the recent stretch.

EPA per return game by game
WeekOpponentThat gamereturnsSeason rank after
1vs PIT+0.472–
3vs GB+0.37280th pct
5vs BAL+0.47287th pct

One game is a small sample: a single stat over 2 returns can swing on a handful of plays. Shaded rows are the recent stretch.

The numbers, in context

Each one against every kick returner with at least 5 returns. Right on the strip is better.

EPA per return

Well above typical

+0.44

8th of 53 kick returners · top 16%

Expected points added: how many points the play added to (or took from) the offense's scoring chances, given the down, the distance and the field position. From his team's side, for each kickoff he returns.

The box score: Return average ignores the starting field position the team would have had anyway.

Does it show up in winning? Across 82 games league-wide, teams won 54% of the time when their kick returner was in the best third on EPA per return, and 30% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: +0.47 (2) vs +0.42 before

Small sample: could move a lot · 6 returns · true level likely −0.10 to +0.98

Yards per return

Elite

29.8 yds

6th of 53 kick returners · top 12%

Average yards per kickoff return.

The box score: This is the box score number.

Does it show up in winning? Across 82 games league-wide, teams won 63% of the time when their kick returner was in the best third on yards per return, and 30% when he was in the worst third.

Last 2 games: 30.5 yds (2) vs 29.5 yds before

Small sample: could move a lot · 6 returns · true level likely 23.8 yds to 35.9 yds

Game by game

Every game this season: how it ended for his team, how much he played, his box score, and the advanced numbers from that one game. One game is a small sample, so read the right-hand columns as a snapshot, not his level.

Brian Robinson game by game
GameResultRetYdsEPA/returnYds/return
Wk 1 vs PITL 13–20264+0.4732.0 yds
Wk 3 vs GBW 35–14254+0.3727.0 yds
Wk 5 vs BALL 23–30261+0.4730.5 yds

The box score

The traditional totals, with where each ranks among kick returners. A total rewards volume, which is why the advanced numbers above matter.

Brian Robinson box score totals
StatTotalRank
Returns641st of 53
Return yards17935th of 53

Players with a similar profile

The kick returners whose grades are closest to his across the same stats. Similar means similar numbers, not the same style of play.

Ranks are among players at the same job who have enough plays to be graded. Grades and rankings come from play-by-play, charting and snap-count data, so they cannot see blocking, route running or assignments. See how the grades work.

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Data: nflverse play-by-play, CC BY 4.0. Also FTN charting, Pro Football Reference advanced stats, snap counts and injury reports, all through nflverse. Calculations and charts by Raiders Rundown.