Surprising Bears Playmaker Could Be Offensive X-Factor

Cordarrelle Patterson signed a two-year $10 million contract with the Chicago Bears this past spring, coming to Chicago after a moderately successful season with the Patriots. A former number one draft pick for the Vikings in 2013, Patterson has often been referred to as a Swiss army knife due to the diverse skill set he possesses.

The early buzz this preseason suggests that Patterson’s plate in Chicago is going to be quite full, and it looks like he will be asked to do a lot in Matt Nagy’s offense. Nagy recently said he’s happy with the way Patterson has taken to the playbook, and considering Patterson brings both size and speed to the table, Nagy will very likely tailor several plays to his strengths:

While the offense includes multiple playmakers including Tarik Cohen and Anthony Miller, Patterson could be the Bears’ offensive x-factor, and not just because we haven’t seen what he can do in this offense, but because of the possibilities and opportunities he could create for it.

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Patterson Can Alter the Running Game

So far this preseason, Nagy has used Patterson in a multitude of ways, including in the run game — and early glimpses show how potentially dangerous he can be lining up from the backfield:

Whether he’s running reverses or being utilized as a chess piece in one of Nagy’s many trick plays, Patterson is a legitimate threat every time he’s lined up behind center, and opposing defenses will have to treat him as such. He may also be the biggest threat in the Bears running game considering the following statistic:

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Patterson Can Alter the Passing Game

As is the case with Tarik Cohen, Patterson’s speed will surely benefit the Bears’ backfield, but Patterson should be a bigger threat when lining up as a receiver for the Bears. He’s listed as the team’s fourth wideout, and look for Nagy to utilize him often.

With his size, Patterson could potentially win some one-on-one battles, but he should be particularly effective during edge screens, quick outs, and all sorts of slants. It’s likely Nagy will use Patterson in plays similar to this from practice this preseason:

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His Greatest Asset Could Be On Special Teams

Bears fans know what he brings to the table — they remember Patterson scoring his only return touchdown of the year against them at Soldier Field last season. Patterson is best known for his skills as a return man, and for good reason. He has made the Pro Bowl twice in the past, and has six career return touchdowns — but even if Patterson doesn’t score a single special teams touchdown all year, he is still going to have a major impact on field position for the Bears.

With Mitchell Trubisky entering his third season and second in Nagy’s system, field position could be the key to more offensive production and a resulting increase in confidence for the young quarterback and his offense. Patterson averaged 28.8 yards per kickoff return last season, only a slight drop from his career average of 30 yards per return. If he can stay on par with that, look for field position to get better for Trubisky and Co.

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