The Falcons are set to welcome a key offensive weapon back to their lineup as they look to stay atop the NFC South entering their Week 9 matchup against the Chargers.
Atlanta announced Saturday it has activated running back Cordarrelle Patterson from injured reserve ahead of Sunday’s game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Patterson, the team’s leading rusher, has been on IR since Oct. 3 due to a knee injury.
Patterson’s return comes at a key time for the Falcons after the club managed to secure first place in their division following a surprising 4–4 start. Atlanta went 2–2 to start the season with the 31-year-old in the fold, a stretch that saw Patterson jump out to one of the best starts of his 10-year career.
Patterson tallied a career-high 120 rushing yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Saints in Week 1 before besting that performance in Week 3 with a 141-yard, one-TD effort in a win over the Seahawks. On the season, the former All-Pro has accumulated 340 rushing yards and three scores to go with four receptions for 28 yards.
Despite being without Patterson for some time, the Falcons have managed to remain one of the league’s best rushing attacks, led by quarterback Marcus Mariota (280 yards, 3 TDs) and rookie RBs Tyler Allgeier (324 yards, TD) and Caleb Huntley (265 yards, TD). Atlanta currently ranks fifth in the NFL with 158.1 YPG.
With the lineup now looking the healthiest it has in weeks, Patterson, Allgeier and Huntley figure to form quite the three-headed monster in the backfield as Atlanta prepares for the second half of the campaign.
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