'We know how important this is as far as playoffs and having home-field advantage, so we're trying to figure that out.'įournette was in beast mode vs. He rushed for 100 yards and three TDs, including the clinching score with 20 seconds remaining.
In his first season with the Falcons, Cordarrelle Patterson has clearly emerged as their most valuable player. The hybrid back can pretty much do it all - run the ball, catch passes, return kicks. Now, he's also listed as a backup safety on the depth chart after lining up at that position for one play in last week's victory over Jacksonville. While the Falcons have no plans to make Patterson a regular part of the defensive rotation, he hopes to play enough on that side of the line to get an interception. Tampa Bay is more concerned with his offensive repertoire. 'Stop Cordarrelle Patterson, for sure, in the kicking and the running game, and as a receiver,' Arians said. Tampa Bay leads the NFL in run defense, allowing just 81 yards per game.īut the Bucs have been so good against the rushing game that opponents rarely even attempt to test them. That puts an added burden on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who doesn't have a whole lot of weapons in the passing game beyond Patterson and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts. 'I can do a better job than I've done the last couple of weeks.' 'We just haven't been in a rhythm that much in the pass game and I think a lot of it comes down to early just getting some momentum,' Ryan said.
