Pats Preview: Week 12 at Minnesota Vikings

The Pats are back on Thanksgiving, ladies, and gentlemen! It’s been 10 years since the Patriots last played on the day of the turkey. It was 2012 when Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez ran into his center’s rear-end and created the revolutionary play known as the “Butt Fumble”. Before that, it was Tom Brady’s 2010 MVP season when they waltzed into Detroit and beat up the Lions. So, in recent memory, the Patriots have done very well on Thanksgiving.

This year’s task is much harder than either of those. They will travel to Minnesota to take on the 8-2 Vikings. Led by superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who beat the Bills just two weeks ago in what might just be the 2022 game of the year as it stands today. The Vikings are a much different team than the last we saw them in 2018, and the bitter truth is, so are the Patriots.

So, after all the families have come and gone, the riled-up children are put to bed. All parents in New England will have to outlast their food coma and stay up an extra couple of hours this holiday season. A tough task, but the challenge is even tougher for the Patriots on the road. Without further delay, set it up, Folk! Let’s get this preview underway.

3 Keys to The Game

Key #1: Slow down Justin Jefferson

There is no stopping Justin Jefferson. There is only trying to slow him down. The LSU product has been phenomenal since coming out of the 2020 NFL Draft. In just two and half years into his career, he’s caught 268 balls for 4,109 yards and 21 touchdowns. A true, #1, elite talent on the outside that Pats fans have been dreaming of since trading for Randy Moss back in 2007.

The task will be large for whoever is deemed to go against this defense breaker, and I’ll take a wild guess it’ll be rookie Jack Jones. The Cowboys were able to hold Jefferson to three catches last week and they throttled this Vikings team 40-3.

Now, there’s nobody like Trevon Diggs or Micah Parsons on this defense. But we see the obvious correlation between taking away Kirk Cousins’ favorite weapon and forcing him to go somewhere else, and the Vikings’ offense sputtering. This is probably the biggest key to the game for New England. If Jefferson gets loose, I don’t know how the Pats are staying in this one.

Key #2: Keep up on offense

This Vikings team won’t be content scoring just three points going into the fourth quarter. I know, last week says a different story. But let’s not just assume that the worst version of the Vikings is the one that New England is going to get. This Minnesota team is dangerous and will put up points if given the opportunity. It’s time for the Patriots’ offense to click. They absolutely need to put points on the board if they want to have a chance in this match-up.

Mac Jones, Rhamondre Stevenson, it’s time for everybody to put their hands in the middle and make some magic happen. Jones has been safe with the ball, with no turnovers for two games in a row. But now it’s time for the Pats to take some chances down the field and create plays. If Jones isn’t sacked six times, the opportunities might be there against a relatively soft Ed Donatell defense. Be safe with the ball, but certainly be more aggressive than you were against the Colts and Jets, who were never a threat the last two games.

Key #3: PROTECT MAC JONES

How many more times do I, scratch that, we need to say it. Every week the Pats’ second-year signal-caller is getting his clock cleaned before he can even run through his reads. I know losing David Andrews again is a huge loss (though it might not be for as long as originally feared). Rookie guard Cole Strange heavily relies upon Andrews to get him in the right spot. But six sacks? And all the penalties that come with this unit, don’t get me started. The offensive line just has to be better. Simply put. Keep Mac’s white jersey clean this week, and you win this game. I guarantee it.

X-Factor: Josh Uche

I see you, Josh Uche. The third-year edge rusher out of Michigan has started to get involved more and more in recent weeks. Often meeting defensive player of the year candidate Matt Judon at the quarterback in the backfield. He scored three sacks against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. Though he was relatively quiet against the Jets on Sunday. He’ll have a chance against Minnesota’s backup left tackle Blake Brandel as Christian Darrisaw is likely out with a concussion. I think that Uche could be a player that sneaks up on Cousins and this Minnesota offense and might give them some trouble in this one.

Final Thoughts/Predictions

This game is likely a race to 24. The first team who scores it will likely win this game. This Patriots offense hasn’t proven to be able to score that much without some help from the defense. Not in a long time anyways.

Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback. He’s not going to give you the stupid throws that Zach Wilson and Sam Elhinger did. You’ll have to earn the turnovers off of him. As well as contain a well-balanced rushing attack led by Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. Never mind the additional weapons alongside Jefferson in Adam Thielen and newly acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson. This might just be the best offense the Patriots have played all year on paper.

Unfortunately, this is one of those rare times I pick against the Pats. I just don’t see how this squad can match up on paper. Bill Belichick will really have to out-scheme first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell to give his team a fighting chance. Which has happened before. But at some point, talent matters. And the Vikings just have that on them in this one. We’ll see come tomorrow. But give me Minnesota in a relatively competitive outing.

Final Score: 24-18, Vikings win (Patriots fall to 6-5)

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