He was nominated for the Emmy award in 2002 and 2003 for his work on The Sopranos and won The Directors Guild of America award for the show in 2002. As a director, Patterson worked for several television studios, including HBO and CBS. He directed episodes of The Sopranos, Providence, The Practice, Carnivàle, Family Law, Six Feet Under, CSI, CHiPs, Magnum P.I., Hill Street Blues, The Guardian, and the pilot episode of Law & Order. He also directed more than 12 television movies, usually thrillers and crime stories, including A Deadly Silence (1989) and Seduced By Madness (1996).
