Vikings receiver Cordarrelle Patterson told reporters Thursday that he feels less pressure after a heart-to-heart talk with coach Mike Zimmer.
It’s been a disappointing second season for Patterson, who many thought would be in line for a breakout second year in the NFL.
Instead he has caught just 30 passes for 350 yards and in recent weeks had seen his role in the offense decline, but following his Thursday morning chat with Zimmer seemed in brighter spirits.
“I believe in everything he says, I’ll stand by him and coach (Norv) Turner,” said Patterson. “I respect everything they are doing, just getting the talk away out of the way though makes me have a little less pressure on me.”
According to ESPN, the Vikings have gone from trying to manufacture touches for Patterson to trying to get him the ball as a traditional receiver. But Patterson has struggled to make the adjustment.
The emergence of Charles Johnson has made things even tougher for Patterson and heading into last week’s game against the Jets, Turner confirmed that Patterson was now Johnson’s backup
Johnson responded with four catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Patterson played just one offensive snap.
Zimmer told reporters Wednesday they needed to see more consistency from Patterson for him to see more playing time on offense.
“It’s being in the right place, doing the right things, running the right routes, blocking the right people, lining up in the right place, that’s it,” said Zimmer.
But Patterson still wasn’t willing to go into what he and Zimmer spoke about on Thursday.
Cordarrelle Patterson: "What me and Coach Zimmer talk about, that stays with us.''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 11, 2014
While it’s unclear what Patterson’s role for the remainder of the regular season might be, ESPN notes that it’s becoming clear that if Patterson wants to be a great player in the league, he will need to devote himself to learning the finer points of being an NFL receiver during a critical offseason for him.
