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ATLANTA — Cordarrelle Patterson, the main rusher on the NFL’s No. 5-ranked dashing offense, has been activated from injured reserve, giving the Atlanta Falcons one in all their most dynamic gamers again.
The 31-year-old Patterson had been one of many NFL’s prime working backs previous to struggling a knee damage that wanted a process to repair and stored him out the final 4 weeks. He’d been within the midst of the most effective working stretch of his profession, gaining 340 yards on 58 carries with three touchdowns over the primary 4 video games of the 12 months.
Twice within the first 4 weeks of the season, Patterson set profession highs for dashing — first, for 120 yards within the season-opener towards New Orleans on Sept. 11, after which once more in Week 3 when he ran for 141 yards in a win over Seattle on Sept. 25.
Patterson mentioned Wednesday he felt 90 % — however at the moment of 12 months, Patterson mentioned, nobody shall be one hundred pc — and through his rehab from damage, he regularly posted movies of his progress.
“I simply attempt to give the followers what they need to see, man,” Patterson mentioned. “I used to be lacking for a pair weeks. I do know the followers missed me on Twitter and stuff, so I had simply to submit a video displaying what I used to be as much as.”
It had been the continuation of a profession rejuvenation for the 2013 first-round choose, who had largely performed receiver all through his profession. He began critically making a transfer to working again in 2020 in Chicago, and when he signed with Atlanta in 2021, he had a profession 12 months with 618 yards dashing and 548 yards receiving.
He re-signed with the Falcons on a two-year contract in March after brazenly campaigning to return due to his consolation with the teaching workers, the offense and the town, the place he shortly grew to become a fan favourite.
Then, this season, he started the 12 months as one of many league’s prime rushers. In his absence, the Falcons have continued to run the ball properly with working backs Tyler Allgeier (84 carries, 324 yards, one landing), Caleb Huntley (57 carries, 265 yards, one landing) and Avery Williams (10 carries, 58 yards, one landing) together with quarterback Marcus Mariota (55 carries, 280 yards, three touchdowns).
However the return of Patterson provides a distinct dynamic to the Atlanta offense due to the number of locations Falcons head coach Arthur Smith can put him in a formation.
“When he comes again, I feel that makes us a greater offense,” Smith mentioned in October. “Put him in there in a number of [packages]. Is he a wideout? Is he a again? Is he a quarterback? Is he a good finish? That is the place you need to get to as a result of I do know that when he touches the ball, he is efficient and he made large performs for us within the passing sport lots final 12 months and the run sport and he was actually having a reasonably good season thus far working the soccer.
“When he comes again, I do know this, there’s loads of issues he can do for us and that’ll make us higher as an entire offense.”
He additionally creates extra issues for defensive coordinators realizing what a set would possibly seem like due to his positional versatility.
Patterson mentioned when he returns he sees himself as being a part of the group that has been top-of-the-line dashing offenses within the league and a big cause why the workforce is 4-4 and in first place within the NFC South. He additionally mentioned one of many issues he’s going to concentrate to — and that went into the choice of when he would return — can be his conditioning.
Atlanta tries to make use of Patterson throughout their formations. He had been in on 55 % of the Falcons’ snaps pre-injury. This season, he’d primarily been as a working again (106 snaps within the backfield, 12 within the slot, two as a good finish and 7 as a receiver). Final season, Patterson had 291 snaps at working again, 100 at receiver, 51 within the slot, 16 at tight finish, one at quarterback and two at free security.
The Falcons face the Los Angeles Chargers — one in all two groups remaining on the Atlanta schedule over the .500 mark — on Sunday.
Atlanta additionally signed defensive lineman Jalen Dalton to the 53-man roster. To make room for Patterson and Dalton, the Falcons positioned beginning left guard Elijah Wilkinson on injured reserve and launched edge rusher Quinton Bell.
Matt Hennessy is predicted to begin at left guard instead of Wilkinson.
The Falcons additionally elevated security Jovante Moffatt and offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil from the observe squad for Sunday.
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