Life with the New England Patriots clearly isn’t for everyone.
Players like Rodney Harrison relished the opportunity to play for Bill Belichick, while others, like Darrelle Revis, don’t enjoy their time in New England.
You can put Cordarrelle Patterson in the former category.
Patterson played for the Patriots in 2018, ultimately winning Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams. He was a solid multi-threat player in New England, racking up three receiving touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and another score as a kick returner.
Now a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Patterson recently was asked about his thoughts on playing in New England.
“That really taught me the way to practice and compete and all that stuff,” Patterson told Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus. “When you go over there it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re trying to win. We’re going to win each and every week.’ That’s their mindset over there. ‘We’re going to win.’ When you get over there, everybody knows they’re not going to get that Tom Brady-Bill Belichick, the two best to ever do it. It’s not even a discussion.
“Once you get into that, you buy into that role like, ‘Hey man, we got a chance.’ Once you buy into that it’s like, ‘OK, I understand why people (are) ready when they get over here.’ It’s a mindset, the culture and all that stuff. Once you walk into that building, it’s go time. Ain’t no (expletive) like, ‘Let’s get this win.’ We all know what we’re here for.”
Patterson, 30, currently is on pace for his best season as a pro.
The receiver-running back hybrid has 295 receiving hards, 173 rushing yards and five all-purpose touchdowns in five games with the Falcons.
