The Atlanta Falcons open up the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on their home turf Sunday, and one of the biggest tasks will be slowing down kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson.
Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams, who coached Patterson the last three seasons in Atlanta, spoke about what makes him so dangerous as a player when he met with the media Thursday.
“When CP ran a return back versus Chicago, he broke the record. That play was designed to go all the way outside. But they overplayed it, he put his foot in the ground, and he went north south with the football.”
Williams said he was looking forward to what will be a “fun” direct matchup against Patterson, but he knows exactly how lethal the former Falcons return man can be. And getting vertical, the most important thing in the kick return game as it stands right now, is something Patterson does better than just about anyone else in the NFL.
“When you go against a returner like Cordarrelle Patterson, who can put their foot in the ground off of one cut and go vertical, those are the guys that are a huge threat,” said Williams.
Patterson scored 20 total touchdowns in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, placing him in the NFL’s top 15 in that category. He hasn’t been quite as explosive since but will look to find his spark once more when he hits the field for the first time this season.
“It takes a different mindset when you can run that type of speed while people are running full speed at you,” Williams said. “You have to have the fearless ability and mindset to get vertical.”
The Falcons and the Steelers are set to kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
