Falcons RB Damien Williams Placed on IR; Who Will Replace Him?

Atlanta Falcons backup running back Damien Williams won't play for the foreseeable future. Could that mean more work for Cordarrelle Patterson or some carries for rookie Tyler Allgeier?

Jeremy Brener | Sep 16, 2022

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The Atlanta Falcons (0-1) are preparing to play Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams (0-1) without one of their key backfield pieces.

Running back Damien Williams, who suffered a rib injury in last week's game against the New Orleans Saints, was ruled out in Friday's injury report and won't play this weekend against the Rams. He was then subsequently placed on injured reserve. This means he'll miss at least the next four games. The earliest Williams can return is Week 6 on Oct. 16 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Williams suffered the injury in the first half, and Avery Williams received some carries as a result, but this week the rotation could look a little different.

Fifth-round rookie Tyler Allgeier did not play last week against the Saints and was ruled inactive, likely because the team dressed Damien Williams, Avery Williams and Patterson. But with Damien Williams out, it could result in Allgeier's promotion.

Avery Williams handles the team's return duties and is only expected to play a role in the backfield in case of emergency, much like what happened last week. But now, there's a good chance the lion's share of the carries will go to Cordarrelle Patterson, Allgeier and quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Mariota ran the ball 12 times for 72 yards and a touchdown last week against the Saints, while Patterson added a career-high 120 yards on the ground with a score. They will likely see the majority of action in the run game Sunday, but Allgeier appears to be in line to contribute in his NFL debut.

The Falcons and Rams kick off at SoFi Stadium Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

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Published Sep 16, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.