What should the Atlanta Falcons expect from Tyler Allgeier this season?

Expectations can be a hard thing to manage. After a rookie season where he flashed his long-term potential, Tyler Allgeier will have a ton of expectations going into year two.

Allgeier was never expected to have over 1,000 yards last year. After being drafted in the fifth round, it seemed he would be a great complimentary piece to Cordarrelle Patterson and allow the Atlanta Falcons to utilize his dynamic running ability when the offense needed a spark.

During the early portion of the season, there were some struggles and it seemed Allgeier might not be the spark piece that the team needed. He averaged three yards a carry in a season-opening loss to the Rams and didn’t have back-to-back 50-yard games until the Falcons' fifth and sixth games of the season.

Allgeier only averaged more than four yards a carry twice in the Atlanta Falcons first seven games, and it was clear he was having some trouble adjusting to the NFL. Then the Chargers game happened. His burst shined throughout the game as he averaged almost ten yards per carry and added a 24-yard catch to finish with over 100 yards.

From that point forward, it’s fair to say that Allgeier only had one bad game throughout the rest of the season. He had only 28 yards the next week against Carolina and averaged a ghastly 2.5 yards per carry. The hype of the week beforehand seemed to dim, but for Allgeier, it was clear he was just getting started.

The rookie rushed for over 50 yards in the Falcons' remaining seven games and had over 100 yards against the Saints and again against the Buccaneers in the season-ending win for Atlanta. His late push got him over 1,000 rushing yards for the season; the first Falcons player to achieve this since Devonta Freeman in 2016. Allgeier also averaged nearly five yards per carry, added four touchdowns, and avoided fumbling the entire season.

The Atlanta Falcons haven’t had a player lead the team in rushing for back-to-back seasons since Freeman in 2016-17, and there is a chance that Tyler Allgeier will struggle in his sophomore season as he begins taking a larger responsibility within the offense. There is also an equal chance that he starts the season how he ended last year and showcases the ability that made him look like a future superstar.

One of the biggest challenges for Allgeier will be continuing his development as a pass catcher out of the backfield. He only corralled 16 passes last season and had 11 games where he had zero or one catch total. If he wants to become a true all-purpose back for the team moving forward, that’ll likely be his biggest necessary area of improvement.

As the Atlanta Falcons hope to finally return to the playoffs this season, the team will be leaning on players such as Allgeier, wide receiver Drake London, and new starting quarterback Desmond Ridder to guide an offense undergoing a youth movement. It may be hard to predict what Tyler Allgeier has in store for year two, but if it matches his games against the Chargers, Buccaneers, or Saints, the team will be in good hands.