2021 NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Cowboys continue to slide, Packers bounce back

In Week 11, the Atlanta Falcons were without Cordarrelle Patterson and they managed to score exactly zero points. While they likely wouldn’t have won with him, they were reminded on Sunday how much he has meant to this offense.

In their 21-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Patterson had 108 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as well as 27 yards receiving. As Nick Halden of Blogging Dirty says, the Jags aren’t exactly an elite team, but this offense seems lost without Patterson.

"“If there is one thing we learned against the Patriots and Jaguars it is how much this offense needs Patterson. Against the Patriots without him, the Atlanta offense couldn’t move the ball and Matt Ryan took a beating. While the Jaguars are a huge downgrade in competition it is noteworthy the drastic improvement this offense saw when Patterson rejoined the action. Patterson is so dynamic in an Atlanta offense that is often dull and unable to move the football without him.” — Halden, Blogging Dirty"

For rookie head coach Arthur Smith, he’s trying to prove there’s hope for the future with this team. At 5-6, they’re not threatening anyone in the NFC but they can keep building for the future.

The only problem is, their best players aren’t exactly spring chickens in Matt Ryan and Patterson, but still, Smith should be proud of this gritty win and hope for more down the stretch.