After a stretch of four games in which he caught no more than two passes for no more than 38 yards, Cordarrelle Patterson suddenly became the Vikings' go-to wide receiver Week 8 at Tampa Bay, making six grabs for 86 yards, both season-highs. His 12 targets were twice as many as any other Viking.
It was the role he was expected to play coming into the season, but with the change from Matt Cassel to Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback and the struggle to replace Adrian Peterson in the backfield, he kind of got lost in the shuffle. Neither Greg Jennings nor Jarius Wright has stood out enough in the receiving corps for him remain just a third wheel, though.
The Vikings offense is still a work in progress, and the catching staff may have come to realize it's better off giving Patterson a chance to make plays. It's too early to say how relevant he'll be the rest of the way, especially since his ankle seems to be at less than 100 percent, but if somebody cut him in your league, you may want to make a play for him.