When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year deal in March after the NFL’s rule change for kickoffs, it was supposed to be an addition to the roster primarily for special teams.
But on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, that addition proved to be key for the Steelers’ offense.
Patterson, in tandem with running back Najee Harris, helped salt the game away for the Black and Gold at Acrisure Stadium in a 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
On the final drive of the game, Patterson rushed for 33 yards, including an impressive 14-yard sprint off the left side on a zone run, moving the chains and milking more of the clock.
At 33 years old, Patterson has a lot of mileage on his body in the NFL. But he still brings an impressive combination of juice and energy to the Steelers’ offense, which had rookie left guard Mason McCormick rather impressed after the Steelers’ hard-fought win over the Chargers to move to 3-0.
“He runs the ball super hard,” McCormick said of Patterson, according to video via Amanda Godsey on Twitter. “It’s crazy — he’s going into I think Year 13 or 14 and to have as much juice and energy as he brings, it’s pretty special.”
That juice and energy Patterson brought to the table for the Steelers’ offense late in the game was rather special.
He ripped off a 14-yard run, then added a 4-yard run. Then, for good measure Patterson ran for 12 yards on a 2nd and 6 to move the chains, draining more clock.
Finally, Patterson ran for 3 yards on the following first down, taking the Steelers to the 2-minute warning with the football and facing a second and seven.
Three plays later, after a 21-yard Najee Harris run to the 1-yard line, the Steelers were victorious.
On the day, Patterson ran for 33 yards on those 4 carries and added 3 receptions for 15 yards. He wasn’t expected to have a huge role offensively with the Steelers, even with following Arthur Smith from Atlanta to Pittsburgh.
But with Jaylen Warren sitting out the rest of the game due to an injury, Patterson got an opportunity and ran with it. In the process, he impressed a young rookie linemen, who opened some key holes for him late in the game, leading by example with his play even in Year 12.
