Vikings notes: Griffen is NFC defensive player of the month

Everson Griffen has been a full-time starter for only two months, but he's already racking up national recognition for his first-half performance.

The Vikings end was named NFC defensive player of the month for October on Thursday.

"I'm excited, [but] I can't let this accolade become something that I think I have arrived," Griffen said. "That hasn't happened yet. There's still more to come."

Griffen led the NFC with six sacks in October and led all NFC defensive linemen with 20 tackles. He got a five-year, $42.5 million contract in the offseason after being Jared Allen's backup for four seasons.

"The whole defensive line, we've been playing well," Griffen said. "We're second in the league in sacks, and we've just got to keep it coming."

Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson leaned his left foot back on a pillar while talking to reporters, the same foot that was in a walking boot after an overtime victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday. Patterson expects to be 100 percent against the Redskins.

"I'll be out there no matter what," Patterson said. "It's going to be a big game for us. We're going to be going on a bye week after that, so it's big on us."

Patterson had a season-high six catches for 86 yards against the Bucs, and led the team with 12 targets from rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

"You've got to get good with the quarterback," Patterson said. "It don't matter how the game plan is with you. Sometimes the game plan can be around you, and you still don't get the ball. You've just got to figure out the thing with your quarterback, and I feel like me and Teddy, we done hit and know where each other stands. Let's just hope we can continue and build on from there."

Special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will prepare more players for special teams this week with the possibility to shake up the unit. Priefer and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer have not been pleased with the penalties.

"We've lost a lot of hidden yardage, return yardage because of the penalties," Priefer said. "That was the big message with the young guys. Those are the ones making the most mistakes, the young guys. That's usually what it is. But when you're an error-repeater, as I've said, you're going to run out of chances at some point."

Rookies Antone Exum Jr. and Jabari Price have been among the repeat offenders. Both were flagged for penalties against the Bucs.

Redskins coach Jay Gruden told Washington reporters that the team has prepared to start quarterback Robert Griffin III for the first time since dislocating his ankle in Week 2, barring a setback that would give Colt McCoy his second consecutive start.

"Schematically I think offensively they are going to pretty much stay the same," Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards said. "I think they'll do some things different between the differences in the quarterbacks but, for the most part, offensively I think they'll pretty much stay schematically what they're doing."

• Zimmer said tight end Kyle Rudolph, recovering from a sports hernia, could return against the Bears in two weeks after the bye week.

• Practice squad quarterback Chandler Harnish suffered a Lisfranc injury after an offensive lineman stepped on his foot in practice. Zimmer said the Vikings will look at other quarterback for the practice squad.