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Quarter-season Falcons awards: The biggest surprise

Devonta Freeman has made the absolute most of his opportunity.

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

With four weeks of the 2015 NFL season in the books, it's time to dole out some quarter-season awards.

It's easy to select which Atlanta Falcon has been the biggest surprise thus far.

Devonta Freeman was unable to play in the preseason after a nagging hamstring injury sidelined him, and he opened the season as the backup to Tevin Coleman.

But Coleman was carted off with a rib injury in Week 2 against the New York Giants, paving the way for Freeman's breakout.

In his first career start, Freeman piled up 141 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 30 carries against a Dallas Cowboys defense that looked pretty stout in its first two games.

Three touchdowns in his first start — there's no way Freeman turns in an encore the following week against the Houston Texans, right?

Proving naysayers wrong, the second-year running back out of Florida State racked up three more scores against Houston.

His back-to-back three-touchdown performances put him in elite company. The last running back to achieve said feat was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006. That season, Tomlinson set the NFL record with 28 rushing touchdowns.

Freeman leads the league with seven rushing touchdowns — two more than the second place Jeremy Hill — and his 256 yards is already more than the 252 he had all of last season.

He's also an adept receiver as he's caught 17 passes — good for fifth in the league among running backs — for 196 yards. Last season, Freeman caught 30 passes for 225 yards. He'll easily surpass those numbers, too.

While he may not continue to score three touchdowns in games, there's no reason to think Freeman slows down, even when Coleman returns to the lineup.

It's been a few years, but the Falcons have a legitimate ground attack again. And it's a beautiful thing.

Which player do you think has been the biggest surprise?