Patterson may be headed for a larger role in Washington's game plan Sunday in Dallas with lead back Antonio Gibson (toe) listed as questionable after not practicing in any capacity this week, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.
According to Matthew Paras of The Washington Times, head coach Ron Rivera said Friday that Gibson is dealing with an injury similar to the case of turf toe that sidelined the running back for two games in 2020. While Rivera noted that Gibson feels better this time around compared to last season, Standig also relayed that the coach "wasn't oozing with optimism" about the 23-year-old's chances of playing. Even if Gibson suits up Sunday, Washington could still look to lighten his workload to some degree, given that the Football Team is playing on a short week and along with the fact that he's coming off a 21-touch outing against the Eagles. Patterson has logged eight carries for 49 yards and a touchdown over the past two games, with his healthy 6.1 yards-per-carry average potentially setting him up for more work in the next few weeks even if Gibson was in better health.