Atlanta Falcons having Roddy White flashbacks with rise of Cordarrelle Patterson

If you wear number 84 for the Atlanta Falcons, you better be good, even outstanding. That was Roddy White’s number for a decade. The four-time Pro Bowler holds several Atlanta receiving records and is rightfully in the Falcons Ring of Honor.

So, no pressure for the new addition who had the eight and the four sewn onto his jersey. However, no one seems to mind Cordarrelle Patterson wearing that number after his first two games.

In his weekly Falcons press conference, Matt Ryan had some thoughts on seeing Patterson in Roddy’s old number:

"He’s an old-school player. He can do a little bit of everything. I still feel like it’s Roddy White when I’m handing the ball off, so this is a little strange, he’s got the dreads come out the back too, so you do a double-take.”"

But, the quarterback says the similarities don’t end there.

"“Oddly enough, they both play the game with the same kind of passion too. Roddy was very much that way, great energy, great passion and tough.”"

Patterson signed as a free agent in the offseason. Although he was initially listed as a wide receiver and kick returner, Arthur Smith says the man they call Flash works with the backs regularly. “The versatility pays off because he is in the running back room, but he can play multiple spots for us. I really like how his role is developing. We will see where it goes,” said the head coach.

Patterson came to Atlanta with an advantage that is paying off. Dave Ragone, the new offensive coordinator, had number 84 last season as both men were with the Chicago Bears. “This is a football player. He loves football,” said Ragone, who acknowledged the previous relationship has been beneficial. “C.P. I’ve had experience with – I’ve had one on one experience, just us meeting together. So I know how his mind works and what he can handle.”

Week 3 against the New York Giants will provide more clarity with how Atlanta plans to utilize Patterson. In week 1, he had 54 rushing yards and 13 receiving yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. In week 2, those numbers flipped as C.P. racked up 57 receiving yards and 11 rushing yards. But he is also a dangerous return man. In both games, Patterson returned the ball more than 25 yards per touch.

Keep in mind this guy once returned a kickoff for 109 yards. Ryan noticed the opposition is planning for Patterson, “look at how Tampa tried to kick around some of what C.P. was doing last week.” Those kicks were usually much shorter to prevent Patterson from touching the ball.

The Falcons addressed the running back position when they signed Mike Davis, but Patterson is an unexpected bonus. “He’s kind of an old-school player,” said Ryan with a big smile. “He can do a little bit of everything. He’s got great speed. He’s really physical. I feel like he plays the game the right way, tough and hard-nosed. He’s the kind of guy you want to be around. I think he will be fitting good with any team, and I’m really happy that he’s here.”

Patterson is listed as the number two running back on Sunday in New York. He could have a big game against a struggling Giants defense that’s allowed more than 400 yards per game.