MINNEAPOLIS -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Minnesota Vikings' 30-24 win over the New York Jets at TCF Bank Stadium on Sunday:
"I still don't think it was a fumble:" A week after he got just three snaps on offense, Cordarrelle Patterson's only touch on offense was a 6-yard gain off a pitch in the first half. His frustrating day included a pair of gaffes on kickoffs, as well; Patterson fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, setting up a Jets field goal, and bobbled his next opportunity, before returning it to the 14-yard line. The Vikings hoped Patterson would be ruled down before the ball came out, but officials upheld the on-field call of a fumble. Patterson didn't want to answer many questions after the game, but said, "I don't think it was a fumble. I still don't think it was a fumble." Coach Mike Zimmer said he doesn't lack confidence in Patterson, though, adding the two talked about the receiver's role this week.
Johnson, Blanton to have MRIs: Guard Charlie Johnson and safety Robert Blanton will have MRIs on Monday after leaving the game with leg injuries. Johnson had a walking boot on his right ankle and was on crutches after Matt Asiata fell on his ankle, but said X-rays showed nothing was broken in his foot. The guard yelped in pain after he was injured. "It was more scary at first, but I looked down and everything was straight," he said.
Vikings honor Pearl Harbor survivor: The Vikings commemorated the 73rd anniversary of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor by honoring Richard Thill, the 91-year-old St. Paul native who is one of the few living Pearl Harbor survivors from Minnesota. Thill, who was aboard the USS Ward -- the ship credited with firing the first American shots of World War II -- was recognized during the second quarter. Former Vikings coach Bud Grant, a World War II veteran himself, was part of a pregame flyover in a B-25 bomber.
