The frustrations have been brewing for the Minnesota Vikings in regards to Cordarrelle Patterson. Since getting drafted in the first round two seasons ago, the wide receiver has simply not met expectations placed on him. The Vikings were hoping Patterson would become the next-best offensive weapon and instead he turned in a stat line filled with zeros in Week 13's win over the Carolina Panthers. Now it looks like Patterson will not get a chance to redeem himself, getting benched for Week 14.
According to Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Patterson has been benched in favor of Charles Johnson who was signed off the Cleveland Browns' practice squad back in September.
"CJ is playing at a high level," Turner said, via ESPN.com. "CJ is the starter at X [receiver]. That's the position Cordarrelle plays. We're going to do what we can to give him some opportunities to play there, but CJ's playing at a real high level right now."
Getting benched is really just the icing on a struggling season for Patterson. In Week 1, the wide receiver put up over 100 yards rushing in the game. Since then, he has barely seen above 70 yards receiving. His targets and catches have decreased week by week which came to blows in Week 13 when he did not play in the first half and did not get a single target in the second half. Patterson told the media after the game that he was frustrated with his role on the offense. Turner admits he understands, but also notes that the wide receiver simply did not step up.
"Anyone that's in a situation where he didn't play last week would be frustrated," Turner said. "But Cordarrelle knows. He wasn't here all week. He missed Monday and Tuesday -- Monday, we have our meetings -- he missed Wednesday and Thursday, he was out of town at a funeral. It's hard to get ready; we have a totally different game plan for Carolina. And then you combine it with blocking two punts in the first half, and us not really having the ball. I expect Cordarrelle to play, and play like he has."
The benching of Patterson will only fuel the trade rumors surrounding the wide receiver. NFLMocks.com has suggested a trade of Patterson could be in the future. The rise of Jarius Wright and now Johnson have certainly helped the offense. Patterson is still worth a high draft pick in return while Minnesota could be players for someone like Amari Cooper or Kevin White in the draft. Patterson has a lot to prove to Minnesota. If he fails to take advantage of playing opportunities, his time with the Vikings could be over.
