Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Corey Peters is close to making his return to the football field after a six-week stint on the injured reserve list. The Falcons have done well without Peters, going 5-0 through the first several weeks of the season, but could get the defensive tackle back on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles if the coaching staff feels he's in well enough football shape to compete.

Peters suffered a stress fracture during the offseason and has been tabled ever since. But what makes Peters so important to the team is ability in the run defense. The Falcons, while unscathed so far this season, are still having trouble containing the run, which ranks No. 27 in the NFL.

Here's Falcons head coach Mike Smith on Peters, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"It takes some time," said Falcons coach Mike Smith on Thursday. "You've got to work on that endurance and pushing the big bodies. It's going to take some time. Corey has been working hard. We've been trying with our athletic performance guys to simulate it as much as possible. But there is nothing like going out there and practicing and getting 30 or 40 snaps."