The Atlanta Falcons will take the Caesars Superdome turf this Sunday without their starting quarterback or their top pass catcher.
But that hardly means the cupboard is bare, and the New Orleans Saints are certainly not underestimating the difficulty of stopping Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta's talented backfield duo.
"It's definitely a dynamic tandem, and they complement each other extremely well," Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley said. "And then they play them together quite a bit, which I think is the sign of a great tandem. Definitely one of the strongest points of their team."
Robinson, the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, is one of the league's most explosive and difficult to tackle backs. He enters the Week 12 game against the Saints ranked No. 7 in the NFL in rushing (783 yards) and tied for fifth amongst running backs in yards per carry (5.0).
He's already broken 17 tackles this season and is averaging a career-best 2.5 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Reference. And he hasn't just produced as a runner: His 506 receiving yards this season are already a career high, and he leads all NFL running backs with 10.8 yards per reception (minimum: 20 receptions).
Robinson may be the headliner, but the Saints may know better than any other team how dangerous Allgeier can be.
In five career games against the Saints, Allgeier has averaged 69.2 yards per game and 6.7 yards per carry — more than he has against any other team that he's faced more than once.
A 2022 fifth-rounder, the 5-10, 225-pound Allgeier represents a punishing complement in style to the slashing Robinson.
"Allgeier is a hell of a player; I think he's very underrated," Staley said.