Sometimes MVP stands for Most Valuable Persons. That’s a rule I just came up with this week, given my intention to present the award to several people at once.

The Falcons last rushed for more than 200 yards in late November 2023, and they had struggled mightily on the ground in recent weeks, with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier totally stymied against the Buccaneers. Atlanta flipped the script this week, from passing their way to victory to galloping their way there against a Panthers defense that was as much injured as it was weak up front.

The end result was a well-called, well-blocked try, with huge credit going to Zac Robinson (more willing to run into the middle, clever in choosing his spots) and the line (which was fantastic). But of course, all that just lays the foundation for runners, and both Bijan and Allgeier were great.

Robinson had numerous eye-opening runs, leaving defenders in the dirt and passing through contact en route to 95 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, an average of 6.3 yards per carry. Allgeier just did what Allgeier does on his best days: He generated an incredible amount of contact — I swear he broke five tackles in one play — and gained 105 yards and his first touchdown in 2024, an average of 5.8 yards per tote . The duo combined for 210 yards, 18 of Atlanta’s 38 points and the slow-motion demoralization of Carolina’s defense.

The Falcons have an abundance of talent on offense, and if everything works together, they can do great things on the ground and in the air. On a day like this, when two backs are having great days and everything is working so well, the MVP goes to the whole hydra instead of one of his heads.