DENVER -- The Chicago Bears signed veteran Cordarrelle Patterson because he's a triple threat.
Patterson has impacted games as a wide receiver, running back and kickoff returner over the course of a seven-year NFL career.
On Sunday, Patterson breathed life into an otherwise listless Bears offense when he lined up in the backfield, took a simple toss left, and galloped 46 yards deep into Denver territory.
Patterson reached 22.23 mph on the run, the fastest speed reached by a ball carrier over the past two seasons, according to NFL Next Gen stats.
.@ceeflashpee84 WAS HUSTLIN'!
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 15, 2019
46-yard pick up. #CHIvsDEN pic.twitter.com/CgpQwPUUGO
Bears RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson reached 22.23 MPH on this 46-yard run, the fastest speed reached by a ball carrier over the last two seasons.#CHIvsDEN | #Bears100 pic.twitter.com/FwJKxzk29W
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 15, 2019
"You want to get the ball into Cordarrelle's hands as many times as you can," quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said afterward. "That was one of his big plays. Earlier in the week, we knew that if we could get him on the edge, he's going to be gone and it's going to be a big play for us. The offensive line did a good job blocking and the other receivers did a good job blocking. We have to continue to keep using him to create explosive plays."
Eight plays after Patterson's run, the Bears scored on a David Montgomery 1-yard run, Chicago's first touchdown of the 2019 season.
"It was huge," coach Matt Nagy said of Patterson's run. "He can do that stuff and there's going to be times that teams are going to be looking for it, other times not. That was one play where he finally felt like, 'OK, we've got a play here, and a good chunk of momentum."