CATS SCRATCHED

Atlanta fends off Jacksonville after early boost from Patterson’s two touchdowns

Cordarrelle Patterson ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons defeated the host Jacksonville Jaguars 21-14 on Sunday afternoon.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw for a touchdown, but had only 190 yards through the air. He was intercepted once.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was 23-for-42 for 228 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Patterson, who didn’t play in the previous game because of an ankle injury, had 84 rushing yards by halftime. He finished with 16 carries.

Atlanta (5-6) held a 21-3 lead by the midway mark of the third quarter. The first points of the second half came on Ryan’s TD pass to Russell Gage that covered 12 yards.

The Jaguars (2-9) finally got to the end zone with 28 seconds left in the third quarter on Lawrence’s 7-yard pass to Tavon Austin followed by a 2-point conversion throw.

Matthew Wright’s 34-yard field goal came at the end of a 14-play drive with 6:33 left, trimming Jacksonville’s deficit to 21-14.

The Jaguars got the ball back with slightly more than two minutes to play but managed just one first down before giving the ball back on downs.

The Falcons drove 81 yards in nine plays for the game’s first points on Patterson’s 7-yard run. He had 41 yards on four carries during the drive.

That also gave Atlanta some muchdesired points after it was a victim of a shutout in its last game against New England.

Jacksonville reached Atlanta territory on its second possession, but Lawrence was intercepted by Duron Harmon. The Jaguars turned it over again on their next possession on James Robinson’s fumble.

On the ensuing drive, the Falcons needed four plays to go 29 yards, with Patterson’s 12-yard rush resulting in points. That came after Atlanta chose to wipe a field goal off the board because of a Jacksonville unsportsmanlike penalty a play earlier.

The Jaguars scored on Wright’s 22yard field goal in the final minute of the first half to complete a 14-play possession that covered 70 yards.

Jacksonville had eight first downs and 153 yards of total offense in the first half.

USA Today Sports - Nathan Ray Seebeck and Matt Pendleton Above: Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson dives into the end zone for one of his two touchdowns in Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Below: Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell (24) breaks up a pass intended for Jaguars receiver Marvin Jones Jr. during the second half.