FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, the league's second-leading rusher after five weeks, has helped to balance the offense.
When quarterback Matt Ryan was misfiring against the Redskins, Freeman carried the attack with 153 yards on 27 carries. He also caught seven passes for 44 yards.
He has rushed for 405 yards, which trails only Chicago’s Matt Forte, who’s rushed for 438 yards. Freeman’s eight rushing touchdowns are tops in the league.
With a legitimate rushing threat, teams may have to stop doubling wide receiver Julio Jones.
“I makes it harder on a lot of defenses because they have to play our offense fair,” Freeman said. “They can’t cheat in the box or they can’t double Julio. Lately, they’ve been doubling Julio, which has been creating a lot of space for the running game. We’ve just been taking advantage of it.”
Freeman, a fourth-round pick in 2014, playing sparingly last season as we watched Steven Jackson take his last carries in the league. In 2014, Freeman displayed flashes as he split backup time with Jacquizz Rodgers and Antone Smith.
“I always knew that I was capable,” Freeman said. “My thing was that I just wanted an opportunity. Opportunity is everything. I always believed in myself. I’ve been feeling like this forever, it was just the opportunity.”
He’s made the most of the opportunity after Tevin Coleman suffered a fracture rib against the New York Giants.
Freeman made his first NFL start in the third game of the year and amassed 193 total yards and scored three touchdowns against Dallas. In his second game, he piled up 149 yards before going to the bench with the score 35-0 with 10:50 to play in the third quarter against Houston. The 197 yards against Washington was a new career-high.
Freeman has found holes in the outside-zone blocking system and has run with speed, power and finesse sometimes weaving his way through traffic.
“It’s just one of those talents that I have,” Freeman said. “My eyes are moving fast, but my legs are moving slower. I feel like I’m moving slow because my eyes are moving fast and that slows the game down.”
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