Brian Robinson has seen all the hard work he put in to come back from multiple gunshot wounds pay off over the past two weeks. He was designated to return and later activated ahead of the Washington Commanders' game against the Tennessee Titans, and in the first quarter of the Week 5 matchup, he got his first carry.
On Thursday against the Chicago Bears, he checked off another goal: his first career touchdown, and it could not have come at a more ideal time for the Burgundy & Gold. Because of that effort, he has been nominated for the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week. You can vote for him, HERE.
"I'm just thinking about all the work I put in leading up to this point," Robinson told reporters after the 12-7 win. "And it was all worth it."
In an offensive slog that did not see either team score a touchdown until the third quarter, Washington was gifted a prime opportunity to retake the lead from the Bears, who had gone up 7-3 in their opening drive of the second half. The Commanders had chipped away at the deficit with a field goal, but a fumble recovery by Christian Holmes off a muffed punt put Washington inside the 10-yard line.
Robinson handed the ball off to Robinson, their downhill back who knows how to find space in tight running lanes. A block from Carson Wentz allowed Robinson to plow forward for a five-yard gain, putting the Commanders at the 1-yard line. As Wentz said in his postgame press conference, everyone in the huddle knew they would give Robinson another chance.
This time, Robinson broke through for the score, giving the Commanders a five-point lead that the Bears were eventually unable to overcome.
Robinson scored plenty of touchdowns at Alabama (31 to be exact), but scoring his first in an NFL uniform, especially after working so hard to come back from his injury, felt a little different.
"I've put so much work in my whole life just to make it to the NFL and just have the opportunity that I had tonight," Robinson said. "It's great. I'm so blessed. I'm thankful for the opportunity the coaches gave me tonight. They put me in positions to succeed, and I had to repay them for that."
Robinson finished the night leading the Commanders with 60 rushing yards, nearly tripling the production he had against the Titans. Robinson looked more comfortable in the primetime matchup, and while Washington's offense could not sustain much momentum against the Bears, there were flashes where the unit looked better because Robinson was part of the game plan.
The hope is that trend will continue as the Commanders try to climb back to .500.
"I'm confident that I can go out there and do what I do to make the plays that need to be made."
