By Joseph Gunther
Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was seen wearing a walking boot after last Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. The second-year wide receiver had his best game of the season, so it was bit surprising to see him in the protective boot. When asked about it, he said it was nothing.
The Vikings play the Washington Redskins on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium before having a week to rest through the bye. In fact, Patterson was not even listed on the injury report this week.
“Of course, man,” Patterson said about being 100 percent via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I’ll be out there no matter what. It’s going to be a big game for us. We’re going to be going on a bye week after that, so it’s big on us. We need to get this win.”
It hasn’t been easy for Patterson this season. He has dealt with several ailments, including a hip injury that kept him out of a good portion of the second half against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5.
Even when healthy, Patterson has had trouble developing chemistry with any of the three quarterbacks that have played this season. He entered last Sunday’s game with just 19 catches for 213 yards. With Matt Cassel done for the season and Christian Ponder no longer in the future plans, Patterson needs to get on the same page as rookie Teddy Bridgewater.
“It all starts at practice,” Patterson said. “You’ve got to have good practice habits. Me and Teddy, we had a good week last week trying to find me the ball. And it paid off (last) Sunday, so this week just keep building on from there and trying to get more balls.”
It seems to have taken time for the Patterson and Bridgewater to get in sync. On Sunday, Bridgewater got Patterson the ball a season-high six catches, including two big first down receptions on the game-tying drive in the final minute of regulation.
“You’ve got to get good with the quarterback,” Patterson said. “It don’t matter how the game plan is with you. Sometimes the game plan can be around you, and you still don’t get the ball. You’ve just got to figure out the thing with your quarterback, and I feel like me and Teddy, we done hit and know where each other stands. Let’s just hope we can continue and build on from there.”
The Vikings still don’t expect tight end Kyle Rudolph (abdomen/groin) to return for a couple weeks, which could mean Week 11 against the Chicago Bears at TCF Bank Stadium. He was the only player on the 53 man roster that did not practice Thursday.
The Redskins list safety Ryan Clark (ankle/shoulder) and offensive tackle Trent Williams (knee) as limited participants. They list quarterback Robert Griffin III (ankle), linebacker Ryan Kerrigan (wrist), linebacker Trent Murphy (knee), cornerback Tracy Porter (hamstring), linebacker Perry Riley Jr. (knee) and linebacker Keenan Robinson (shoulder).
The Complete injury Report
The Vikings listed Rudolph (abdomen/groin) as a non-participant in Thursday’s practice.
The team listed defensive end Brian Robison (glute), cornerback Jabari Price (hamstring), cornerback Josh Robinson (ankle), defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (ankle/knee) and tight end Chase Ford (foot) as limited participants in Thursday’s practice.
They list linebacker Gerald Hodges (hamstring) and safety Antone Exum Jr. (ankle/shoulder) as full participants in Thursday’s practice.
For more Vikings news and updates, visit Vikings Central.
Joseph Gunther is an avid fan of Minnesota sports, including football, hockey and baseball. He covered a wide variety of sports while attending Hastings College in Hastings, Neb. While at Hastings College, he was a part of the first collegiate media group to broadcast a national tournament via television, radio, internet and newspaper at the 2004 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament. He grew up in the Twin Cities playing three years of varsity football in high school. Joseph is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
