Why 'Best in History' Cordarrelle Patterson Doesn't Return Punts for Atlanta Falcons

Amidst struggles in the punt return game, why don't the Atlanta Falcons turn to Cordarrelle Patterson, the most productive kick returner in NFL history? The answer is simple.

The Atlanta Falcons hold the NFL's record-holder for career kick return touchdowns in Cordarrelle Patterson, who's taken nine kickoffs back to the endzone.

Conversely, Atlanta sits tied for last in the league in yards per punt return at just five, a stark contrast after Avery Williams' 16.2 yards per return led the NFL a season ago.

But with Williams out for the season due to a torn ACL, the Falcons' return unit, led by Mike Hughes, is noticeably less explosive, a particularly critical step backwards when considering how much the offense has struggled.

So, why not let Patterson return punts?

For starters, he made his season debut in Week 4, battling through a thigh injury suffered during training camp that rendered him inactive for the first three games.

But even if availability wasn't a question, letting Patterson handle punt return duties isn't an option the Falcons would legitimately consider, in part because of significant inexperience.

The 12-year veteran's lone career punt return came over 2,500 days ago on Dec. 1, 2016, when he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Patterson's inexperience comes for good reason - catching punts simply isn't something he feels overly comfortable doing, according to Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.

"We always put things into consideration but it's what feels comfortable for the player, what puts them in the best position," Williams said. "Can CP catch punts? Yes. But I think certain players feel comfortable doing certain things.

"So, you don't want to put a player in a position to where they don't feel comfortable or don't feel as fast and free as they can be."

Williams pointed to last year's 31-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 as an illustration of the idea that Patterson can, in fact, catch punts.

The Rams took an intentional safety late in the game and punted to the Falcons; on the safety kick, which is effectively a punt, Atlanta opted to have Patterson and Williams as the returners.

And so, it's not a matter of whether or not Patterson has the ability needed to return punts - it's simply that neither he nor the team feels he's at his best doing so.

But why is it such a challenge? What's different between catching kicks and punts?

Williams claimed it's harder to return punts than kicks, in large part because punters can manipulate the ball in a variety of ways to make life difficult for those on the receiving end.

"It depends what kind of punt they want to hit - a spiral punt, a flip flop we call end-over-end, the banana one where it spins this way," Williams said. "Oh, now it's a left-footed punter this week, so now the rotation is even different on that type of punt.

"There's a lot of different variables when it comes to that."

On kickoffs, the ball takes an end-over-end rotation, which Williams pointed out is easier to catch. There's also the spacing element, as defenders are still several yards away from the returner when he catches the ball, allowing for more time to diagnose where the blockers and coverage units are.

With punt returns, the distance traveled by the ball is often shorter, leaving less time to react and putting several defenders close to the returner, making it a more complicated operation.

"You got to go catch a punt that, depending on what type of club selection they use, whether it's spiral, end-over-end, helicopter, boomerang punt," Williams began, "you've got to run to the spot, get underneath the football, and then also, diagnose 'where is this cover guy at?'"

The Falcons are cognizant that Patterson, 32, is still capable of breaking games open as a kick returner, and there remains a plan in place to get him touches offensively.

That plan hasn't yet been revealed, but the answer may come Sunday when Atlanta (2-2) hosts the Houston Texans (2-2) at 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

But there's little doubt that when the Falcons' kick return unit takes the field for the first time, Patterson will assume his usual spot on the back end.

And yet, there may be even less doubt that he won't be on the field when Atlanta fields its first punt of the afternoon.

That's just not who Patterson is. Instead, he's the game's greatest kick returner, and both he and the Falcons are content to keep his special teams impact centered on exactly that.

"CP can catch punts but that's something that he feels more comfortable being a kickoff returner, which I'm not going to knock that because he's the best in NFL history," Williams said.