FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – If you define Cordarrelle Patterson, you negate him.
Patterson, the Patriots “wide receiver,” perhaps in name only, has also been called a draft bust, a kick returner, a gadget player, an emergency running back and a whole bunch of other things, none of which quite encompasses the totality of the Vikings’ first-round draft pick from 2013.
On Friday, Tom Brady called Patterson, “The Experiment.”
“Just because he can do it all,” Brady said. “We’re all just trying new things with him. I just love what he does.”
While the Patriots are experimenting to unlock all of the skills Patterson possesses (he says he can throw, too), The Experiment may also be an imperfect label. At this stage of his career, Patterson has demonstrated that, unlike most players in the NFL, his game may not accurately be conflated into any one word.
While there was speculation that Patterson would claim a sizeable role in the Patriots’ passing game this season, it has become clear that his role is far more versatile and complicated. As the Patriots’ once-crowded backfield winnowed to one healthy starter – James White – in Weeks 8 and 9, Patterson, listed at 6-foot-2, 228 pounds, emerged as a stop-gap solution with 10 carries for 38 yards against the Bills. A week later, he contributed 61 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown against the Packers.
Even when rookie Sony Michel, the Patriots’ leading rusher, returned with a season-high 130 yards on Sunday against the Jets, Patterson still had five carries in the game. Although he gained just 10 yards, his attempts included a crucial fourth-down carry, and Patterson converted.
“(Patterson) has a great attitude,” Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said earlier this week. “He’s a guy who works hard, he’s smart, he’s got a positive attitude and I think there’s not a guy in our building that doesn’t like CP. Just a good guy to be around, a good positive energy and really has done a good job of being an unselfish teammate. We’ve asked this guy to do everything from run the ball, to goal line, to line up in the backfield and block people, to catch passes and return kicks.”
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who coached Patterson for three of his four seasons in Minnesota, said, “quite honestly, (the Patriots are) using him way better than we did. Cordarrelle’s a great athlete, a very, very strong runner. I think they use him in a number of different ways. I mean, it’s good to see for him. I wish we would have used him a little bit better.”
Patterson certainly gained more yards for the Vikings, and was more efficient in Oakland (where he averaged a career-high 7.4 yards per target). But, taking a cue from Jack Del Rio who occasionally lined Patterson up in the backfield last season, the Patriots are the first team to regularly use him as a traditional running back.
This usage has allowed the Patriots to create a bit of confusion for opposing defenses when Patterson lines up out of the backfield and off the line of scrimmage. The defense then has the same problem the rest of us are having: How do you define Patterson? Is he running back or a receiver? It’s a decision that matters in determining coverage responsibilities and may help the Patriots create the mismatches their offense relies on.
Regardless of how you define Patterson, it is clear that his best work comes once the football is in his hands. Considered by some as the best kickoff returner in the league, he is currently ranked third on the Patriots in touchdowns with four, including one on a kick return. He is one of only five players in franchise history to score on a reception, a kickoff return and a rush in the same season.
“Everybody’s known how talented he was,” Zimmer said. “We obviously knew how talented he was here as well, but we didn’t get him the ball enough maybe in a lot of those ways that they’re using him. Honestly, since I’ve been watching him on tape, I’m going to put that in the back of mind. If we ever get a guy like this again, or a guy like that again, that we can use him in much better ways.”
(Dave Brown is a freelance writer who covers the Patriots for the Monitor. He can be reached on Twitter @ThatDaveBrown.)