Cordarrelle Patterson could be the next-best wide receiver in the NFL, but he and Teddy Bridgewater cannot seem to get on the same page long enough for the receiver to make an impact for the Minnesota Vikings. Patterson has all the talent in the world, but has yet to build his space with the team. As the Vikings continue to struggle week to week, head coach Mike Zimmer is getting more frustrated at the lack of chemistry.
Patterson is supposed to be the deep threat for the Vikings. The issue is that Bridgewater is having trouble throwing the deep ball. In the game against the Redskins, the quarterback had several miss-fires, a majority targeted to Patterson. The receiver finished with a disappointing nine yards off seven targets and the would-be touchdown that landed less than five yards in front of him is one that will haunt him. Zimmer is not thrilled that his quarterback and star receiver have yet to develop chemistry on the field.
"Teddy was expecting it to be a little more inside," Zimmer said, via the Minnesota Star Tribune. "So it was more of a miscommunication than anything else. Obviously he should have hit it. But I think maybe Cordarrelle could have done a better job of catching it, too."
Fantasy owners are likely pulling their hair out when it comes to Patterson's numbers. Since Bridgewater took over as the starting quarterback, the receiver's numbers have been very quiet. In Week 1, Patterson had 26 yards receiving and 102 yards rushing, looking like he was discovering his potential. However, he has only come close to those numbers one other time this season, putting up 86 yards receiving against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now the receiver has dropped to third on the receiving list for the Vikings as Greg Jennings and Jarius Wright rank ahead of him.
The Vikings have a bye week in Week 10, one that will be used to get Bridgewater and Patterson functioning better together. The team then heads to Chicago where the Bears defense could challenge the inconsistent offense. If the wide receiver has another quiet game, it might be time to move on from Patterson and start Wright or Jennings who are getting more targets and more competitions their way.
"It's nothing between the two [off the field]. We're not precise enough in a lot of areas," Zimmer said. "We're trying to get Cordarrelle involved in the offense. We'd love for him to be involved but guys have to make sure that they are in the right places all the time."
