Cordarrelle Patterson off to fast start with Patriots, but still critical of his own performance

FOXBOROUGH — Cordarrelle Patterson likes to make a good first impression. So when he dropped his first kick return attempt in Monday’s practice — his first one under the lights at Gillette Stadium — he knew he had to explain what happened when he met the media.

“I was a little nervous. (There are) a lot of fans out here — just nerves,” said the veteran, who added that he had never seen a crowd this size at a practice before.

“But at the end of the day, it’s good being out here. It’s a blessing to be here.”


Monday’s botched return aside, the 27-year-old has flashed positively on a number of occasions since the start of camp, particularly as a kick returner. It’s an area where he’s really distinguished himself over the course of his career: He’s the only guy in the league who has five kick returns for touchdowns since the start of the 2013 season. He’s the only kick returner who has averaged 30 yards per return since 2013 (minimum 20 attempts). He led the league in yards per return three of the last five seasons, topping out at an amazing 32.4 yards per return in 2013. He set the league record with a 109-yard return in 2013.

“I’ve been watching him since he came in the league, and I think we’ve talked at length about what he has from a physical standpoint that has enabled him to have success in this league — his size, his speed,” Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater said of Patterson.

“You know, he runs through a lot of arm tackles. I can attest to that, personally. When you got a guy that big and explosive and he’s got the right mindset, he wants to be aggressive, it’s definitely a good thing.”

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has also shown a really unique quality as a receiver — while he’s not a traditional deep threat, it’s clear New England has something in mind for the former Raider and Viking. He’s been part of several unique schemes, and could have a sizable impact on the offense because of his speed.

Asked how he’s done to this point as a receiver, however, and Patterson sounds like his own worst critic.