X-factor: Falcons need to lean on rushing attack against Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams defenders Bobby Wagner (45), Marquise Copeland (93) and Terrell Lewis stop Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier in the first quarter at SoFi Stadium Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Inglewood, California. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Los Angeles Rams defenders Bobby Wagner (45), Marquise Copeland (93) and Terrell Lewis stop Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier in the first quarter at SoFi Stadium Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, in Inglewood, California. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

SEATTLE – The Falcons’ rushing attack came out strong against the Saints in the season opener and will be the X-factor when the team faces the Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. Sunday at Lumen Field.

Cordarrelle Patterson rushed 22 times for 120 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. The Falcons rushed 38 times for 201 yards.

In the loss to the Rams the following week, the Falcons had to abandon the run after falling behind 21-3 at halftime.

The Falcons ended up rushing 27 times for 90 yards (3.3 yards per carry) against the Rams.

Patterson and rookie running back Tyler Allgeier will carry the load against the Seahawks, who were mauled by the 49ers’ rushing attack last week.

The 49ers ran the ball 45 times for 189 yards in their 27-7 win over Seattle.

Allgeier, who was taken in the fifth round out of BYU, made his NFL debut against the Rams. He rushed 10 times for 30 yards.

“It was a good time,” Allgeier said. “For sure an experience that I won’t forget. I just have to keep it going. Learn from the games and all of that.”

The Falcons hope to lean on the rushing attack against the Seahawks.

“I think just going back to fundamentals and stuff,” Allgeier said. “Just going back to the fundamentals. If we get that done, it should be really good.”

Allgeier was proud of the way the Falcons battled back against the Rams.

“It just shows that we believe in ourselves,” Allgeier said. “That just showed that this team is not going to give up when everything starts going down. We were down, what, 20-something points, and then we end up coming back up. It just shows a lot of heart that this team has. We just have to play all four quarters, and then it should be a great outcome.”

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Atlanta Falcons 2022 NFL schedule

Sept. 11: Saints 27, Falcons 26

Sept. 18: Rams 31, Falcons 27

Sun., Sept. 25 at Seattle, 4:25 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 2, Cleveland, 1 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 9, at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 16 vs. San Francisco, 1 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 23 at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 30 vs. Carolina, 1 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 6 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m.

Thur., Nov. 10 vs. at Carolina, 8:15 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 20 vs. Chicago, 1 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 27 at Washington, 1 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 4 vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

BYE WEEK

Sun., Dec. 18 at New Orleans, TBD

Sat., Dec. 24, at Baltimore, 1 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 1 vs. Arizona, 1 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.