Eight weeks into the 2022 season, the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons own a top-five rushing attack in the NFL and some reinforcements may be on the way this week as Cordarrelle Patterson is eligible to return from IR.
The Falcons' lead back was among the league leaders in rushing yards when he was placed on IR with a knee injury after the Falcons’ week four win over Cleveland, and the question became whether or not unproven players like Caleb Huntley and Tyler Allgeier would be able to pick up the slack.
Since then, Huntley, who was elevated off the practice squad, and the rookie from BYU proved to be more than capable along with Marcus Mariota continuing to complement the stable of backs with his legs. Despite Patterson’s absence, the Falcons' identity as a run-first offense has been solidified with the offense rushing for 150+ yards in three of the four games with all three players leading the team in rushing at least once in that stretch. As a team, the Falcons are averaging 158.1 yards per game in 2022.
Even after missing the previous four games, Patterson is still the Falcons’ leading rusher with 340 yards and 3 touchdowns while Allgeier’s 324 yards are second followed by Mariota with 280, and Huntley has racked up 265 yards. So, Patterson will still be RB1 on the depth chart, but he returns to a well-rounded unit that will likely become a true rotation with Smith having a plethora of options at his disposal.
Earlier today, head coach Arthur Smith said he would know more about Patterson’s status for Sunday’s game against the Charges on Wednesday. Whenever he does come back, Huntley and Allgeier’s emergence will allow Smith to not only manage Patterson’s workload, but also creates chances to see Patterson on the field at the same time as Huntley or Allgeier to create additional mismatches along with Kyle Pitts and Drake London on the outside.
