ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are about to see how good their ground game is without Cordarrelle Patterson.
A day after outrushing Cleveland in a 23-20 home victory, the Falcons (2-2) placed Patterson, their leading rusher, on injured reserve following minor knee surgery. He will miss at least the next four games.
The good news is the offensive line has played cohesively, helping Atlanta average 5.8 yards per carry against the Browns. Rookie Tyler Allgeier, a fifth-round draft pick out of BYU, led the way with 84 yards on 10 carries, including a 42-yard burst.
The Falcons won back-to-back games for the first time since Weeks 8 and 9 of 2020, when they won at Carolina and beat Denver at home.
The score was tied 10-10 at halftime despite the Browns outgaining the Falcons 245 yards to 120. After the offense produced two three-and-outs and an interception in the third quarter, coach Arthur Smith decided to rely almost exclusively on the running game.