Staley Da Bear
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- Mar 16, 2019
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Bears veteran Cordarrelle Patterson has been named the NFC special teams player of the month for November for his performance as a kick returner and gunner on the punt coverage team.
In five games, Patterson averaged 29.4 yards on 10 kickoff returns, highlighted by a 57-yarder on the opening kickoff in last Thursday’s 24-20 win over the Lions on Thanksgiving in Detroit. The return, his second longest of the season behind a 102-yard touchdown Oct. 20 against the Saints, set up Mitchell Trubisky’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Allen Robinson II.
Patterson also excelled as a gunner in November, recording four tackles. In a 19-14 win over the Giants Nov. 24 at Soldier Field, he produced three excellent plays.
In the second quarter, Patterson made a touchdown-saving tackle on Jabrill Peppers’ 40-yard punt return at the Bears’ 29. Giants kicker Aldrick Rosas eventually missed a 42-yard field goal on the drive.
In the fourth period, Patterson caught Pat O'Donnell’s 34-yard punt at the Giants’ 3 and later dove to keep O’Donnell’s 61-yard punt from rolling into the end zone, swatting the ball back while prone to the ground.
“What [Patterson] did today on special teams was second-to-none,” coach Matt Nagy said after the game. “The way that field position flipped, for him to get down there and make those plays … I really appreciate that. That’s who he is. He takes a lot of pride in how he does that.”
Patterson is the first Bears player to be named NFC special teams player of the month since Devin Hester in October 2011. It’s the second such honor for Patterson, who first earned the accolade in September 2013 as a rookie with the Vikings—his first month as an NFL player—due in part to a 105-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Bears at Soldier Field.