Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Patterson (ankle) will be a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup with the Patriots, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
Patterson sprained his ankle during the first half of Sunday's blowout loss to Dallas and didn't play at all in the second half. While no injury was reported initially, he's now in some danger of missing additional time, potentially opening up a spot for Wayne Gallman to rotate with Mike Davis in the Atlanta backfield. The Falcons might also elect to expand Davis' role rather than getting Gallman heavily involved, but Davis hasn't exactly made the best case to see more work, having averaged just 3.3 yards per carry and 3.5 yards per target this season The Falcons listed Patterson as a limited practice participant both Monday and Tuesday, suggesting he's got a real shot to suit up despite the short week.