At peace after collision, Falcons' Carter breaks out

ATLANTA -- One week after a collision he was involved in caused a game-ending injury, Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Nathan Carter said knowing that the Lions' Morice Norris was doing better made it easier for him to take the field Friday night and carry the ball without being tentative.

The result was a breakout performance.

Carter had 63 yards on nine carries, including a 43-yard touchdown run, Friday night in the team's 23-20 preseason loss to the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. When Carter broke loose for the big gain, his teammates and fellow running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier exploded with glee on the sideline.

The mood was considerably different Aug. 8 in the Falcons' first preseason game against the Detroit Lions. In the fourth quarter, Carter took a carry and attempted to hurdle over the cornerback. Carter's knee ended up connecting with Norris' helmet, snapping Norris' head back.

Norris was down on the field for about 20 minutes while being tended to by trainers. Eventually, an ambulance drove onto the field and then transported Norris to a local hospital. Falcons coach Raheem Morris and Lions coach Dan Campbell agreed to suspend the game, and both teams gathered on the field for a prayer.

Norris was moving and talking that night at the hospital and he rejoined the Lions earlier this week. He is in concussion protocol, but Campbell told reporters that overall "he's doing well."

Carter said he reached out to Norris via Instagram direct message earlier this week to check on him and wish him well. Carter said Norris was in "high spirits" when they chatted.

"He's doing well and that gives me a lot of encouragement," Carter said Friday night after the game. "I think the biggest thing was that the fact that he was all right and that he was doing good, and also just being able to understand that it was a football play and that at the end of the day, my performance relies not on me trying to perform for others but me doing it for the Lord. So, I was really honing in on my faith and helping that be my peace today."

Morris was with Carter immediately after the play last week, with a hand on Carter's shoulder while Carter was on a knee. Morris said the Falcons are "very proud" to have Carter on the team. Carter, a former Michigan State running back, was an undrafted free agent, but has intriguing measurables (he runs a 4.4 40-yard dash) and has performed well enough in camp to potentially earn a spot on the team.

"He plays with a fierce running style," Morris said. "He's hard to get down to the ground. He showed it a couple of times tonight."

At his pro day, Carter showed off a 40-inch vertical leap, which would have been the second highest among running backs at the combine. His bench press of 23 reps would have been tied for first, and his 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump would have been tied for fifth.

Carter, 23, is battling Carlos Washington Jr., Elijah Dotson and Jashaun Corbin for Atlanta's third running back role and a spot on the 53-man roster. Washington was the incumbent, but is currently dealing with a hamstring injury. Carter's performance Friday night was the best out of any running back in Falcons camp not named Robinson or Allgeier thus far.

"It's huge," Carter said. "Not just for me, but really for the entire running back room for us to be able to put stuff like that on tape. ... When I scored that touchdown, the first people I saw was [Robinson and Allgeier] celebrating for me. And that's huge because I look up to those guys so much."