The Raiders offense has been defined by confusion for much of the past two months and one of the players who has struggled to grasp the offense (though he’s not alone) took a hit to his playing time on Sunday night in Miami.
Coming off a 57-snap performance against the Bills, Cordarrelle Patterson played only 6 offensive snaps against the Dolphins. While Patterson saw more snaps the previous week primarily because of Seth Roberts’ absence, Patterson had been averaging a little more than 23 snaps per-game even before the Buffalo game.
Patterson obviously adds an explosive dynamic to the offense, but it’s fair to wonder if offensive coordinator Todd Downing is trying to navigate Patterson through some of the same mental gaffes that held the wide receiver back in Minnesota.
Patterson is a dynamic playmaker and is averaging a whopping 13.9 yards per carry, but is also averaging an anemic 4.9 yards per reception (a career low) this year with the Raiders.
Maybe it was a product of weekly game-planning, but Patterson was considerably less involved in the Raiders offense on Sunday. We’ll see if that becomes a trend.
On a side note… has anyone in Patterson’s career ever thought about moving him to the backfield permanently?
twitter: @raidersbeat
I agree with moving him to the backfield. Even with two tightends. He can put linebackers on their heels. Run him and pass to him out of the backfield. Do you remember Marcel Reece?
Patterson would be a good decoy . Even if he doesn’t understand all the nuances of the offense , just having him on the field is a threat . If defenses disregard him , he’s liable to burn them for a play or two . His presence alone can create opportunities for other pass catchers if he’s used correctly .
Patterson needs the ball as much as Cooper, Crabtree, Cook, Richard, and Lynch. Those guys are playmakers. Unfortunately, Downing has no idea how to use these guys, or how to run an offense. His receiving numbers are a function of our putrid offense. Dink and Dunk passing.