Brian Robinson, Antonio Gibson bringing new dimension to Commanders offense

ASHBURN, Va. — Brian Robinson cannot stop improvising.

Following Wednesday’s practice, the second-year running back chatted with backfield partner Antonio Gibson and a reporter in a quiet corner of the Washington Commanders locker room.

Robinson prefers to do his interviews in group scrums, rather than via a time-consuming series of one-on-one interviews. These scrums form quickly. Once a player is talking with a recording device visible, reporters emerge quicker than a running back blasting through a gaping hole at the line of scrimmage.

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On cue, as Gibson pulled a gray sweatshirt over his head and stood in front of his locker, media members with recorders and cameras hustled to capture the sound bite. Robinson, who ad-libbed for two huge plays in Seattle on Sunday, recognized the shift in coverage and made a dynamic move into open space. He raced behind a nearby column, showing Gibson his playful impersonation of the media.

“Look-look-look!” Robinson said, his excited voice drawing attention from other parts of the room. “What did I tell you?!”

Robinson, who has a spooky Halloween mask hanging above his locker stall, acknowledged he was only messing around. No harm intended, and none taken based on the laughter from all involved. He spoke extensively moments earlier with the same correspondents about his productive showing against the Seahawks; he set career highs in receptions, receiving yards and yards from scrimmage.

Brian Robinson and scary friend. pic.twitter.com/8p8NFXIZoo

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) November 15, 2023

That’s also when he showed his dramatic chops about his receiving skills being overlooked. This part was no act.

“I’ve done everything (the) coaches ask me to do, no matter what. Even things people think I can’t do,” Robinson said. “They’re going to say I can’t catch the ball. But I’m going to continue to show that I’m a football player. I can do anything that a running back is supposed to do in the backfield. I’ll continue to show that.”

His words weren’t aimed at the Washington staff that selected him 98th in the 2022 NFL Draft and cast him as lead back, but rather at those who doubted his ability as a dual threat. NFL.com’s pre-draft analysis included, “Hands are likely to disappoint as a pass-catcher.”

Such takes require a rewrite.

Robinson has 20 receptions — on 24 targets — more than doubling the total (nine) from his rookie season, which was interrupted when he was carjacked and shot twice. He ranks high in numerous categories among running backs, including yards per catch (12.8), receiving touchdowns (three) and receiving yards (256).

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Robinson deftly fielded all six of his targets from Sam Howell against Seattle, including a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown on Washington’s opening possession. For the encore, a scrambling Howell fed Robinson for a nearly identical 48-yard reception in the third quarter. The two gains were the Commanders’ longest of the season.

.@Sam7Howell escapes and hits @BrianR_4 for a @Commanders TD!

📺: #WASvsSEA on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/kECSNGc6Bj pic.twitter.com/h3HWSuckqh

— NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2023

“Coming in, we weren’t trying to throw the ball to B-Rob and AG a lot,” Howell said after the last-second 29-26 loss. “Just kind of how the game goes sometimes.”

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On both big gains, Howell’s initial targets were unavailable. With the pass rush closing in, his eyes turned toward the left flat and found Robinson staring back.

“I knew once he put his eyes on me,” Robinson said, “he would find a way to get me the ball.”

Both plays had a streetball vibe, yet there was choreography — or at least a vibe between the two.

“That wasn’t a play call. That was me and Sam being on the same page and making a play happen,” Robinson said. “You don’t know when those situations will come in the game. You (have) to continue to work and prepare for them. … I felt like we were rewarded for it.”

Robinson found Howell’s throw on the 48-yarder more impressive because the QB had to “sidearm” the pass while on the move. It also made for a trickier catch because he “almost had to catch it with his body.”

51- and now 48-yard catches today for @BrianR_4

📺 #WASvsSEA: FOX pic.twitter.com/YrdXRKBuLI

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 12, 2023

Robinson has grown smoother catching passes, improving those previously questionable hands during his two seasons. Once the ball is secure, the plot becomes more interesting. His 13.6 average yards after catch lead all qualified backs.

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Gibson, a college wide receiver who arrived with pass-catching hype, doesn’t grasp why evaluators overlooked Robinson’s ability.

“I would say (they) slept on (Robinson),” Gibson said. “This training camp, he had an amazing showcase of catching the ball. He’s running routes like he’s been doing it (always). Maybe a coach never really put him out there for the world to see, but he can do it. He’s been doing it.”

Here’s another area where Robinson takes issue with the naysayers. The 228-pounder is a quintessential power back who rushed for 1,343 yards and 14 touchdowns during his senior season at Alabama. That same year, he also caught 35 passes for 296 yards, finishing with 52 receptions for 446 yards overall. Nobody put Robinson in the Christian McCaffrey class of pass-catching backs, but that’s hardly Edward Scissorhands.

Washington sought a physical runner in that draft and snagged Robinson in the third round. The evaluation process led running backs coach Randy Jordan to tell head coach Ron Rivera that Robinson wasn’t a one-dimensional option.

“(Jordan) said, ‘This kid can catch the ball,’” Rivera recalled. “‘A lot of people don’t realize, Coach.’” Robinson then “showed some pretty good hands in his workouts,” Rivera continued. “So, we were fairly confident in that.”

With interchangeable running backs — plus wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who also logs backfield snaps — Washington can keep coordinators from knowing whether it’s a run or a pass (although Washington passes more often than any team, and then some). Months ago, Rivera and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy began plotting ways to get the ball to players in space and “to these guys as quickly as possible.”

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Robinson, Washington’s leading rusher with 485 yards, and Gibson, who also notched a receiving TD against the Seahawks, put the plan into action against Seattle.

TIED UP

📺 #WASvsSEA: FOX pic.twitter.com/d4ZCoqGP6c

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 13, 2023

“I feel like it’s hard to guess what we want to do now,” Gibson said.

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Overlooked for much of the season, Gibson is coming off his two highest-usage games (10 carries, 10 receptions) and three consecutive outings with five receptions. Not coincidentally, Washington’s offense climbed a level in that stretch following a dismal 14-7 loss to the New York Giants in Week 7. Robinson and Gibson combined for two receptions against New York. Assuming Gibson plays despite sitting out Wednesday’s practice (toe), expect different usage for the NFC East rematch Sunday at FedExField.

“I think defenses don’t really know what to expect when either me or AG is in the game,” Robinson said, “because we can run and catch. (If) we continue to show that we are a threat in the passing game and the running game … defenses will be on their heels.

“They’ll never really know our next move.”

(Photo of Brian Robinson, 8: Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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