Souhan: Vikings' Patterson has flair for dramatic without the drama

Cordarrelle Patterson didn't watch many NFL games when he was growing up. "If the Philadelphia Eagles weren't on, I wasn't interested," he said. "Unless I had a chance to watch Randy Moss."

So here we have a uniquely talented wideout, playing for a team whose history is littered with egomaniacal receivers, who grew up admiring Mr. I-Play-When-I-Want-To-Play. "Randy's a great guy," Patterson said.

Sunday, the Vikings will play New England for the first time since 2010, when Moss, during his second stint with the Vikings, declined to make an effort on what could have been a long touchdown catch, contributed little during a 28-18 loss, then held an impromptu and unsanctioned news conference during which he declared his love for the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick.

More than Anthony Carter's occasional pouting, Cris Carter's sideline rants, and Moss' previous history of defiant behavior, Moss that day in Foxboro explains the existence of the phrase "Diva receiver."

"Hey, all receivers are divas," Patterson said, smiling. "But I'm trying not to be one."

Patterson combines Carter's strength, Moss' speed and Percy Harvin's versatility. He has yet to evoke memories of Carter's outbursts, Moss' anti-social tendencies or Harvin's moodiness.

Patterson is — can you say this about a star NFL receiver? — charming. He looks people in the eye. He goes out of his way to praise his teammates. In 17 games and 17 months in the NFL, he has yet to display a hint of arrogance.

"I'm still young," he said. "I can't be demanding things right now. I don't feel like it's my time right now. As I get older, I'll mature, and I'll probably want the ball more, but I've got too many great guys on this team to be doing that now.

"Matt Cassel and Teddy [Bridgewater] are going to do everything they can to get us the ball. There's no need to be demanding anything."

Counting his 67-yard run last week during which he seemed to break a dozen tackles, Patterson has scored a touchdown in six consecutive games. Last week, he became the first Vikings receiver to rush for 100 yards, accumulating 102 on only three carries. He is tied with Harvin for the team career record for rushing touchdowns by a receiver with four. "I'm going to be playing for a long time," he said. "I want to break that record … and keep breaking it."

Like the wide-receiver mold.

"He's a kid from Rock Hill, South Carolina," Vikings receivers coach George Stewart said. "He's country. He likes Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean. He's a blue-collar kind of guy. The 'diva-ish' stuff, I can't see that in Cordarrelle.

Unlike Moss and Harvin, Patterson has never been linked to a substance stronger than sugar.

"He brings me cookies," Cassel said.

"I've never brought Matt cookies!" Patterson said. "But if you see me catch eight or nine balls this week, you'll see a lot of cookies in his locker."

Patterson is already one of the NFL's most spectacular players, yet after only one season of major college football and a half-season of seeing regular snaps at receiver in the NFL, he's still learning how to play the position.

"He's been outstanding," offensive coordinator Norv Turner said. "He doesn't say a lot, but he is very much into what we're doing. He works very hard at it. We ask him to do a lot of things, and he hasn't blinked."

"I don't know many divas, especially at that position," Stewart said, "who like country music."