Entering the 2022-23 NFL season, Cordarrelle Patterson was the Atlanta Falcons‘ clear-cut top running back and he bolstered that claim with two 100-yard performances in his first four games this season. But after Patterson suffered an injury against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, the team has had to play without him – and they’ve done quite well.
So far this season, the Atlanta Falcons rank fifth in the league with 1,265 total rushing yards, averaging 158.1 yards a game. And half of those yards have come with Cordarrelle Patterson on the sideline as running backs Tyler Allgeier, Caleb Huntley, and Avery Williams have shouldered the load.
Patterson was proud of the way his team responded during his injury.
“The running backs we got in that room, they take good pride,” Patterson said, according to the Atlanta Falcons website. “And when the opportunity come in, they showed those four weeks. They did what they were supposed to do.”
Now, with Patterson returning soon, the team is going to have to figure out how to balance carries between all of its talented running backs. But Patterson isn’t worried about it.
“They did a heck of a job, and this week if I can’t go, they still are going to keep doing what they’re supposed to do until I’m back. And when I’m back, they’re still going to shine. I’m not coming to step on somebody’s toes. This is our team, and the team comes first.”
The Falcons are set to face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
