Patterson’s return strengthens the backfield of the Falcons – Atlanta Falcons Blog

ATLANTA — Rookie Tyler Allgeier The ball was taken on the right side and the offensive line was bypassed. As he ran up the field, black pellets from Mercedes-Benz Stadium turf were kicked up. The running back ran past the tacklers, evading them. Los Angeles Chargers.

He was finished 44 yards later. This was the longest run a Falcons player had made from scrimmage in the past two seasons.

“Huh? You’re lying. Are you serious? Allgeier said. “… All the credit goes to the O-line, man.”

This was one play — it was only the longest running since Brian Hill’s 62 yard run against Tampa Bay on January 3, 2021 — but it was emblematic for an entire Falcons team. Atlanta’s identity is simple. Run the ball. Atlanta’s running started back on this day. Cordarrelle PattersonPatterson also scored two touchdowns.

The Falcons failed to capitalize on opportunities offensively, dropping passes and making poor timing calls. Defensively, they were unable to move off the field on third down and lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17. Its running backs are the reason the Falcons remain at 4-5 and in the NFC South race. They are all carrying the offense, and the whole team, at the moment.

Patterson, 31 years old, was injured and missed four games in October. The ground game was strong despite Patterson’s absence.

“Happy he’s back,” coach Arthur Smith said. “We’ve got a lot of guys that we believe in that they can help us and clearly CP helped us in a lot of different roles.”

Patterson rushed for 13 yards and scored two touchdowns Sunday. Allgeier ran for 99 yards on 10 carries. Caleb Huntley Seven carries for 34 yards and the quarterback Marcus Mariota five carries for 24 yards.

Patterson was the one who had done the majority of the work prior to the injury, which led to two of his most impressive rushing games. In Patterson’s absence, the Falcons realized they had more in their backfield than Patterson. BYU was expecting Allgeier to be a tough-totackle runner who could escape from defenders.

That emergence has offered Atlanta a different type of balance — something the rookie didn’t necessarily anticipate.

“Shoot, who would have thought I would be getting this many reps, honestly,” Allgeier said in an otherwise quiet Falcons locker room Sunday. “It just speeds up my process.”

It’s a process that began with Allgeier being inactive for the first week of the season as a healthy scratch. It’s amazing how much has changed in the years since. Veteran Damien Williams was injured on the second drive of the season and hasn’t been back since. Patterson got hurt. Patterson was hurt.

Allgeier became more comfortable with the speed each week. Smith was drawn to Allgeier’s running style, and his game improved over time. He now feels more confident as a runner, with his ability to learn spacing, pass protecting and catch out of the backfield. He’s trusting everything more now, although it’s still a process.

Trust can be a key ingredient in the success of Falcons runners.

Huntley’s sudden emergence was unexpected, but Atlanta has three backs. Mariota is able to take off on scrambles or designed runs. Sunday was the Falcons’ last day as the No. 2 in rushing offense, yardage wise, in the league.

There’s balance, too: Allgeier has 423 yards, Patterson 384, Mariota 304 and Huntley 299. The quartet was the first to have 250 rushing yards or more in eight weeks of NFL history when they entered the game. Atlanta has rushed for over 150 yards in seven out of nine games.

They have 162.9 yards per week, which is their best rushing offense in six years. In 2006, they led the NFL with 183.7 rush yards per games, the third consecutive year as the best team in rushing.

The Falcons can run. The Falcons are a running team. Sunday’s loss aside they have a chance to make the playoffs and they are building on a clear philosophy. It is possible to build upon the strengths of the defense and pass game, if they can do so.