Teddy Bridgewater, Cordarrelle Patterson's Instant Fantasy Reaction After Week 7

For a second, it appeared as if Teddy Bridgewater and Cordarrelle Patterson were finally on the same page. That momentary blip quickly emerged as a mirage.   

Patterson and Bridgewater connected on a four-yard touchdown in the second quarter of Minnesota's 17-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but the two Vikings building blocks remain far from the dynamic duo the team hoped. Patterson finished with two receptions for nine yards, all coming in the first half as Bridgwater continued favoring Greg Jennings and Jarius Wright.

Receptions	Yards	YPC	TDs	Carries	Yards
2	9	4.5	1	1	3

Jennings had six catches for 77 yards and was targeted a team-high seven times. Wright, in his third season out of Arkansas, had four catches for 60 yards and has brought in at least four balls three of the last four weeks.

Meanwhile, Patterson continues to rank among the biggest fantasy disappointments of 2014. The second-year wideout has had no more than two receptions since Week 3, and Sunday was his first touchdown reception of the season. (He had a 67-yard touchdown carry in Week 1.)

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Expected to emerge as one of the NFL's most explosive playmakers, the Vikings haven't quite figured out how to utilize his talents. After carrying the ball three times in a Week 1 win over the St. Louis Rams, offensive coordinator Norv Turner has called handoffs three times total over the last six games.

"People expect a lot of things out of me, man," Patterson said this week, per Andrew Krammer of 1500ESPN.com. "But I'm only human. I only can do what I can do. I can't be a superman. I can't get everybody fantasy points how they want it. I just got to go in and play my game."

While Patterson can't (and shouldn't) worry about fantasy owners, his expected emergence would help Bridgewater, who struggled for the second straight week. The former Louisville star completed 15 of 26 passes for 157 yards, throwing the lone touchdown against two interceptions. After impressing in each of his two first appearances, Bridgewater has thrown five picks in the two games since returning from the ankle injury that kept him out Week 4.

Completions/Attempts	Yards	YPA	TDs	INTs	Carries	Yards
15/26	157	6.0	1	2	1	7

It's unclear whether there are any lingering effects, but Bridgewater has not been the same player. He has seemed more timid in the pocket, relying on short, check-down throws and not using his deceptive quickness in the same way.

Competition level isn't a factor to be ignored, either. Playing the Saints and Falcons defenses is a far cry from Detroit and Buffalo, whose defensive lines rank among the best in football.

The Vikings are 2-5 and were expecting a rebuilding year. Nothing about Bridgewater or Patterson's long-term value changes until we get a significant sample proving they can (or cannot) play with one another. Remember, Patterson was a physically raw player coming out of Tennessee and analysts bought his fantasy stock essentially on spec.

Let's just put it this way: Not too many players who had 469 receiving yards the previous year are coming off the board in the sixth round.

Both players are ownable in dynasty and keeper formats, but Patterson and Bridgewater are entirely droppable in standard leagues. The likes of Carson Palmer and Doug Baldwin will continue producing at higher levels with a tenth of the hype level.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter