FLOWERY BRANCH – Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman has been trying to find a home in the NFL since he was selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Houston Texans.
With the trade of Christian McCaffrey, Foreman has stepped forward for the Panthers (2-5) and will be the X-factor against the Falcons (3-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Foreman rushed for 118 yards in an upset of Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Foreman rushed 323 times for 2,028 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior season in college in 2016, and he won the Doak Walker Award as the top running back in the nation.
He played with the Texans in 2017 and 2018. He was with the Titans in 2020 and played in six games and had 22 carries for 95 yards. Falcons coach Arthur Smith was the Titans’ offensive coordinator at the time.
Foreman was with the Falcons briefly in 2021 before surfacing back in Tennessee, where he performed well after Derrick Henry was injured. He rushed for 566 yards and three touchdowns in nine games for the Titans in 2021.
“He ran well last week; he’s a strong runner. That’s why everybody liked him coming out of Texas,” Smith said. “Enjoyed working with him. You can see with McCaffrey gone, he had his opportunity, and he made the most of it last week.”
The Falcons liked Foreman, but elected to stick with Qadree Ollison last season. Foreman was signed Aug. 9, 2021 and released Aug. 31 and re-signed to the practice squad. He was released Sept. 3.
“I’m sure he’ll be ready to go,” Smith said. “He’s played in some big games. He’s played some big games for Tennessee last year and the year before.”
Foreman is tough to bring down once he gets a head of steam.
“So, we’ve got to make sure that we rally and tackle Foreman,” Smith said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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The Bow Tie Chronicles
Atlanta Falcons 2022 schedule
Sept. 11: Saints 27, Falcons 26
Sept. 18: Rams 31, Falcons 27
Sept. 25 Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Oct. 2 Falcons 23, Browns 20
Oct. 9 Buccaneers 21, Falcons 15
Oct. 16 Falcons 28, 49ers 14
Oct. 23 Bengals 35, Falcons 17
Oct. 30 vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.
Nov. 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Carolina, 8:15 p.m.
Nov. 20 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.
Nov. 27 at Washington, 1 p.m.
Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
BYE WEEK
Dec. 18 at New Orleans, TBD
Dec. 24 at Baltimore, 1 p.m.
Jan. 1 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.
Jan. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, TBD
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