Mike Davis vs. Cordarrelle Patterson: Week 8 Usage Points to Even Split

One of the more pleasant surprises of the NFL season thus far has been the breakout success of Cordarrelle Patterson for the Atlanta Falcons.

It isn’t often that a player, especially on offense, has a breakout season at the ripe age of 30, but Patterson has always been a special kind of guy. He is what some would refer to as a gadget player or a guy that can play multiple positions. He has gone back and forth between a running back and wide receiver throughout his career.

However, up until last season with the Bears, Patterson had primarily operated out of the slot as a receiver and kick-returner.

Now, as a mostly full-time running back, Patterson’s skills are on display to the world. He still has split time, and saw 64 touches on the ground but, has only 32 receptions on 41 targets. He has 268 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and 333 yards with five touchdowns in the air.

While these numbers aren't exactly setting the world on fire in terms of rankings overall in the NFL, Patterson has become an integral part of this offense. And his role continues to grow. 

After averaging 22.75 snaps in the first four games for the Falcons, Patterson totaled 90 snaps in the Falcons’ previous two games. He had 14 carries in Weeks 5, and 7 and his 21 touches against the Jets were a career-high for him.

Patterson currently leads the team in total yards from scrimmage with 529 and has career highs in rushing yards and touches on a season.

Now, we have to talk about Mike Davis and how the two will co-exist moving forward. Davis was signed during the offseason to a two-year deal worth $5.5 million. 

Davis saw his first full season as a true starting running back last year in Carolina and totaled 165 attempts with 642 yards and six touchdowns. This season, Davis has totaled 75 attempts for 258 yards and just one touchdown in seven games. And while Davis’ usage hasn’t drastically taken a hit, the Falcons are clearly trending towards giving Patterson the lion’s share of carries moving forward.

Davis has averaged 43.3 snaps per game this year and had 38 last week. Not a huge shift. However, Davis saw a season-low of four carries in that game. So, while he is in there for around the same number of snaps, he’s being used to block or distract more than he is being used to run. 

It seems like the writing is on the wall for Patterson to continue to have a career year for the Falcons. Albeit, at Davis’ expense. 

The Falcons will take on the Saints in Week 9. WynnBET has Atlanta as a six-point road underdog in that matchup.