It’s no secret that the Atlanta Falcons struggled last season. The offense was subpar, and it was the first time in a decade that Matt Ryan didn’t hit 4,000 passing yards. In previous years, the offense could rely on Matt Ryan – he was one of the most consistent quarterbacks in NFL history. Yet even through all that, the Falcons offense was underachieving in recent years. It turns out that no matter how stable your passing game may be, every NFL team needs a reliable run game; the Falcons have lacked that for years. Cordarrelle Patterson offered relief this season as a breakthrough star, but he was a pure receiving back. became the pure, power running back for the Falcons and struggled mightily behind a broken offensive line.
proceeded to leave for Baltimore in free agency. The Falcons now lacked a pure, power-running back on the roster. With a weak free agency class at the position, Terry Fontenot turned his eyes towards the draft. Through rounds 1-4, the only offensive selections by the Falcons were at quarterback and wide receiver. The fifth round rolled around, though, and with the 151st pick in the NFL Draft, the Falcons selected BYU product, Tyler Allgeier.
Let me tell you; this kid has a chance to be great.
Cordarrelle Patterson Will Get Reduced Carries Next Season
If you had to pinpoint an offensive MVP for the Falcons last season, it would easily be Cordarrelle Patterson. He single-handedly carried the offense in both the passing and running game. The only issue with that is the extreme workload and fatigue he experienced. To reward him for his efforts, the Falcons gave Patterson the spring off to rest and didn’t require him to participate in mini-camp.
Patterson is 31 years old and on the back-end of his NFL career. The Falcons made sure to give Patterson as much help as possible; on top of drafting Allgeier, they signed Damien Williams, and defensive-back Avery Williams converted to running back this offseason. While Damien Williams is a quality running back, I genuinely believe Tyler Allgeier has a shot at leading the Falcons in carries this season.
It all comes from his style of play.
Tyler Allgeier “embraces the physicality of the game of football.”
That’s Falcons’ running back coach, Michael Pitre. Pitre speaks incredibly high on Allgeier. Unlike Damien Williams and Cordarrelle Patterson, Allgeier embraces a more ground-and-pound style of play. In case you’re still not sold on Allgeier’s playstyle, here’s my favorite quote from Pitre:
“Guys have to make a business decision when they have to tackle him in the second half because of his style of play, they have to strap up their chin strap and helmet and make sure, ‘Hey, do we really want to do this through 60 minutes?'”
The Atlanta Falcons haven’t had a power-runningback like Allgeier in a very long time. Even during the prime Devonta Freeman era, he was more of an elusive/receiving back than anything else. Put on some highlights of Allgeier at BYU, and you’ll see an absolute beast on the field. Allgeier also played linebacker at BYU, yet another reason not to doubt his physicality.
Tyler Allgeier’s BYU Career:
Tyler Allgeier had a masterful career in college. The BYU product had 2,899 total yards with 36 career touchdowns. But it’s not just the statistics that make him look great. Allgeier can also excel in pass blocking, which the Falcons desperately need.
He’s a swiss army knife on offense, but it was his relentless ability to continue pounding the rock that got him on the Falcons’ watchlist:
“It was in the final minutes of BYU’s game against Washington State in 2021. Allgeier had already surpassed yet another 100-plus rushing yard game. He’d also scored two touchdowns. But with the game entering into the final four minutes, BYU only held onto a slight 21-19 lead. It was obvious they needed to run the clock out. So, they put the ball in Allgeier’s hands… and they did it again… and again… and again.
BYU handed the ball off to Allgeier seven times in a row until the final minute of the game came and went, ultimately sealing the win for Brigham Young University. They had successfully burnt out the clock, with Allgeier accumulating 51 yards on those seven carries.”
Like the Falcons’ writer continues to state, “Perfection in football does not exist, but if it did, that final four minutes of work by Allgeier was as close to perfection as a running back could get.”
Falcons fans, get ready; this kid will be fun to watch.
For More Great Football Content
Follow us on Twitter at @GridironHeroics for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Football news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
1 Comment
Good article! I think the Falcons got a real one in Allgeier!