The Curious Case of Cordarrelle Patterson
Nov 23, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett (42) pursues Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson (84) on a kick return in the third quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Where it Went Wrong in 2014
The NFL is a results-oriented business. If head coaches do not start winning after three years, or two in the case of Marc Trestman, they are fired. Loyalty matters, but winning matters even more. Mike Zimmer and Norv Turner could not afford to keep Patterson in the starting line-up when other guys on the team started outperforming him.
When Cordarrelle Patterson played at Tennessee, he was known as a physical specimen, but not as a technician when it came to his route running. Two years later, and that is still the case. When speaking about Patterson’s play after the game against the Bears last Sunday, teammate Greg Jennings said, “I want him to see himself on film because he does a lot of things great, but there’s some things that he has to tweak in his game to allow him to be the player he has expectations of being. That’s a big part of this game, being able to mentally overcome a season like this. It’s going to be a challenge. We’re going to see if he has the resolve. I believe he does, but it’s up to him to show the resolve and to bounce back.”
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The good news is, Patterson has owned his struggles, saying, “It wasn’t the year I wanted, like I had last year,” per The Star Tribune. “I feel like last year was a good year for me and I felt like I was going to come back and capitalize off that. Week 1, you know, things was good. But after that, it just started going downhill. I blame myself for everything. I need to just take full advantage of the offseason and get better.”
When Patterson struggled to get open and make plays for Teddy Bridgewater, Charles Johnson and Jarius Wright both stepped up. Johnson had 31 receptions and 2 touchdowns in 12 games, with an average yards per catch of 15.3. Wright caught a game-winning touchdown against the New York Jets, and Jennings had touchdowns in four of the final six games. Adam Thielen pitched in with a long touchdown in the season finale against Chicago. There is room for Patterson, but our other receivers made big plays this year, so he will have to earn his way onto the field in 2015.
Next: Patterson Still Has Supporters