Vikings Snap Counts: Patterson wows in win over Cardinals
The streak is over.
The Minnesota Vikings' four-game tailspin ended with a 30-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals and huge plays on both sides of the ball.
Xavier Rhodes took the biggest interception of his career end zone to end zone, while wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson led the Vikings' passing attack and added a kick-return score.
But while Rhodes has been the Vikings' top cornerback for a while now, Patterson has come a long way since the team declined his fifth-year contract option just a few months back.
Patterson was quarterback Sam Bradford's favorite target Sunday, shouldering a big share of the Vikings' passing game.
GAME 9: CARDINALS (OFFENSE)
| PLAYER | PLAYS (58) | % |
| Boone | 58 | 100% |
| Berger | 58 | 100% |
| Clemmings | 58 | 100% |
| Fusco | 58 | 100% |
| Sirles | 58 | 100% |
| Bradford | 58 | 100% |
| Rudolph | 55 | 95% |
| Thielen | 44 | 76% |
| Diggs | 43 | 73% |
| Patterson | 35 | 60% |
| McKinnon | 31 | 53% |
| Asiata | 21 | 36% |
| Line | 18 | 31% |
| Ellison | 16 | 28% |
| Johnson | 13 | 22% |
| Treadwell | 6 | 10% |
| Hillman | 6 | 10% |
| Easton | 2 | 3% |
GAME 9: CARDINALS (DEFENSE)
| PLAYER | PLAYS (74) | % |
| Smith | 74 | 100% |
| Barr | 74 | 100% |
| Sendejo | 73 | 99% |
| Kendricks | 69 | 93% |
| Rhodes | 67 | 91% |
| Griffen | 63 | 85% |
| Munnerlyn | 63 | 85% |
| Waynes | 59 | 80% |
| Robison | 53 | 72% |
| Hunter | 52 | 70% |
| Johnson | 49 | 66% |
| Joseph | 47 | 64% |
| Stephen | 33 | 45% |
| Newman | 22 | 30% |
| Greenway | 15 | 20% |
| Lamur | 1 | 1% |
-- Cordarrelle Patterson finished behind Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs with just 35 snaps but led the team with eight targets. He finished with four catches for 53 yards.
-- Thielen out-snapped Diggs for the second straight game, and just the second time overall.
-- Diggs was targeted seven times to just five for Thielen, but the former undrafted free agent made the most of his opportunities, racking up 65 receiving yards and a touchdown.
-- Captain Munnerlyn returned from an ankle injury after a one-week absence and was immediately put to work. He logged his second-largest workload of the season, playing on 85 percent of the Vikings' defensive snaps. He hasn't played more than 80 percent since a Week 4 win over the New York Giants, another team that favors three-receiver sets.
-- Jerick McKinnon's playing time stayed roughly the same this week, but he was the clear lead back after splitting time with Matt Asiata for much of the season. McKinnon had 16 carries, while Asiata had five and Ronnie Hillman (who was later waived) had just two. McKinnon didn't do much with the opportunity, averaging just 2.75 yards per carry.
-- Cornerback Xavier Rhodes doubled his interception total with two picks Sunday. His 100-yard touchdown return was the longest in team history.
