The Patriots will need to know where Cordarrelle Patterson is at all times Thursday night.
Patterson, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2018, is enjoying a breakout campaign with the Atlanta Falcons, whom New England will visit for a primetime tilt. The 30-year-old enters Week 11 with 39 catches for 473 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver, to go along with 77 carries for 303 yards and two scores on the ground. Of course, Patterson remains lethal as a kick returner, as well.
The Patriots arguably were the first team to effectively utilize Patterson’s diverse skill set, though they only scratched the surface. The 2013 first-round pick has been truly unlocked in Atlanta.
Bill Belichick was asked for his thoughts on Patterson during his Monday morning news conference.
“(Patterson) is capable of, really, with the ball in his hands, pretty much anything on the field,” Belichick said. “He’s a tremendous player. We certainly saw that when (he) was here. He’s dynamic. He can break the game open on kick returns, catching the ball and running the ball — or a combination of both. And he’s done that, he did that for us, he’s done that for every team he’s been with in the league. And he’s tough, he’s a very competitive player and he’s got a very good and explosive skill set. He’s a problem. When you talk about Atlanta, it’s Patterson and (rookie tight end Kyle) Pitts — whatever order you want to put them in. They both touch the ball a lot. Really, Patterson touches it more than Pitts does, but they’re both really good. And, when they get it, they’re a big problem.
“But CP’s having a tremendous year. I’d say no play he makes really surprises me. I’ve seen him make those before. He runs by guys on go routes. He takes short runs or passes and explosively breaks tackles or burst through a hole and chews up 25, 30 or more yards in a hurry. He’s got excellent hands — big hands. He’s a big guy, he’s hard to overthrow, or hard for the quarterback to miss him and (Matt) Ryan doesn’t miss many, anyway. He’s an excellent target with good hands and a strong, powerful man that’s very hard to tackle. He’s a really good football player, and he and Pitts have given the Falcons a lot of offensive production. And they’ve also created, I’d say, a lot of opportunities for other players because you’re so focused on them. Put (running back Mike) Davis in there, too, as the third guy. Like, all those guys are guys that see the ball a lot and are a big problem when they get it.”
The Patriots are coming off a 45-7 thumping of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. They now have won four straight games and are in sixth place in the AFC.
New England and Atlanta will kick off from Mercedes Benz Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET.
