Cordarrelle Patterson is confused by his lack of touches

Former first-round draft pick Cordarrelle Patterson has caught just two passes in 2015 for a grand total of ten yards.

Not a very significant contribution from a player who was once thought of as a big part of the Vikings’ future.

Ask Patterson why he has been relegated to after-thought status in the Vikings offense and he doesn’t have a whole lot to say about the matter.

He just seems a bit confused by the whole thing (via Minneapolis StarTribune):

"“I know my ability. I know what I can do. I’ve just got to control what I can control,” he said today. “When my opportunities come, I’ve got to make the most of it.“I’m not getting that many opportunities right now. I don’t know why. But things happen for a reason. You’ve got to be ready for it. The way I’m handling it, man, I think I’m handling it the best.“I’m not getting frustrated or anything. When the time comes, I’ll be ready.”"

Patterson may be scratching his head at his lack of action but he shouldn’t be. It’s really not hard to understand why Flash has become a non-entity in Minnesota.

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Patterson has been passed up on the depth chart by Stefon Diggs, Jarius Wright, Charles Johnson and Adam Thielen because those players are all better than him.

Those players all know how to get off the line, run routes and fight for balls.

Those players are part of the game plan because Norv Turner and Teddy Bridgewater trust them to do their jobs.

What about this is confusing?

Maybe Patterson, like so many of his fans, believes Turner should employ him as a secret-weapon receiver/running back/gadget player/x-factor/Percy Harvin-type.

Maybe the Vikings should fire Turner and bring back Bill Musgrave, the only offensive coordinator savvy enough to truly understand Patterson’s gifts.

If only Norv Turner were as smart as Bill Musgrave and all the Patterson fans, then Flash would be the greatest weapon in the league.

For real people, it’s not a mystery. Patterson just isn’t good. There’s no secret formula for unlocking his potential.

There’s no magic game plan out there, no mysterious Patterson playbook waiting to be discovered.

Patterson will never be anything. You can lie a wake at night dreaming up brilliant backyard-style Patterson plays to your heart’s content. It’s all fantasy.

Patterson himself seems a tad deluded about his own abilities. It doesn’t matter because the Vikings have plenty of receivers who actually can play.

Let Patterson do his little kick-off return thing and do his good teammate bit on the sidelines. In reality, that’s about all he’s capable of contributing.