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MINNEAPOLIS -- Observed and heard in the locker room following the Minnesota Vikings' 24-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at TCF Bank Stadium: Patterson doesn't want to drop kickoff duties: Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was slow to get up after he was dragged down on his 42-yard kickoff return in the third quarter and sustained knee and ankle injuries on the play. But Patterson said he thought he'd be fine and added he didn't want to give up kickoff-return duties because of the injury risk. "Of course it's always risk-reward every time you get back there on a kickoff return," Patterson said. "But it's my job. Being back there, I have to take full advantage of it." Tate active but absent in debut: Running back Ben Tate was active for his first game in a Vikings uniform but was one of two players on the Vikings' active roster not to see the field on Sunday (Christian Ponder was the other). Joe Banyard got his first NFL carries instead, running five times for 26 yards in Matt Asiata's absence. "I think Banyard had the hot hand at the time," coach Mike Zimmer said. Loadholt to have MRI: Right tackle Phil Loadholt will have an MRI on his shoulder after getting injured in the fourth quarter, Zimmer said. Mike Harris took over for Loadholt, who didn't want to discuss his injury after the game.
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