Falcons BREAKING: RB Cordarrelle Patterson Returns to Practice; Playing vs. Chargers?

After a four-week absence due to a knee injury, Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson is back in action.

The Atlanta Falcons will be getting a significant boost to their rushing attack ahead of Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers.

After being placed on injured reserve due to "minor" knee surgery following a Week 4 victory over the Cleveland Browns, Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson has officially been designated to return, giving the team a 21-day window to activate him from injured reserve.

Considering the early diagnosis was that Patterson would return when his mandatory four-week stint on the injured reserve ended and he's set to practice Wednesday, signs are pointing to the 31-year-old being able to play versus Los Angeles.

Despite playing just three games and one quarter of a fourth, Patterson remains Atlanta's leading rusher in yards (340), rushing touchdowns (three, tied with quarterback Marcus Mariota) and yards per carry (5.9).

Patterson set a career-high in rushing yards during Atlanta's Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints with 120 but topped it two weeks later in a road win over the Seattle Seahawks, posting 141 yards and a score on just 17 carries en route to winning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Through three weeks, Patterson sat third in the NFL in rushing and was the engine of the Falcons' offense. However, the team managed to go 2-2 in his absence, rising to the top of the NFC South at the season's halfway point.

Even with Patterson out, the Falcons continued to run the ball well. Rookie Tyler Allgeier received the brunt of the work with 58 carries for 185 yards and one touchdown while adding another score through the air.

Second-year pro and former undrafted free agent Caleb Huntley has also emerged, taking 46 carries for 206 yards, excluding his energy-providing 10-carry, 56-yard, one-touchdown effort in Patterson's final game.

Ultimately, playing without Patterson forced the young backs to grow up faster than expected, and by all accounts, they handled it well and proved themselves as capable NFL runners. The experience gained in the last four weeks will only help build confidence and depth moving forward.

Nevertheless, Patterson remains an integral part of the Falcons' offense and his return only makes the team better. With the division lead now solely in their possession, Atlanta gets one of its best playmakers back and will look to keep stacking wins, starting at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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