The New England Patriots put together their best total effort of the season with a 24-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13 of the NFL season.
It was going to take a good game on both sides of the football to defeat the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots did just that.
With a nice balance of running and passing the ball on offense along with dominating defensive play, the Patriots extended their record to 9-3 with a statement win that could just carry them through the rest of December and into the playoffs.
Impressively, Tom Brady didn’t have to dominate for the team to win. He was good, but the defense did such a great job limiting what Kirk Cousins and the defense were able to do that Brady and the offense just continued to be patient.
While Rob Gronkowski was quiet catching the ball, players like James White, Cordarrelle Patterson, James Develin and Josh Gordon stepped up to help extend drives and convert in the red area.
On defense, Stephon Gilmore and the secondary did a great job limiting Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. The defensive line did allow a couple of big runs, but overall, pressured Cousins enough to rattle him.
Needless to say, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was happy with the effort.
"“Well, that was a great team win by our guys today,” Belichick said following the game. “I thought we really played hard. Minnesota is obviously a good football team and they do a lot of things well. They’re tough. We had a good complementary game. We covered kicks well, returned them well, had some field position there, moved the ball offensively. Would like to score a few more points but, again, give them credit. They’re a good defense. I thought defensively we did a solid job.”"
Here are five observations from the 24-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13.
Rex-in-effects
The New England Patriots solved the Minnesota Vikings defensive scheme mainly with the short passing game involving their running backs. James White did his part, but impressively Rex Burkhead got back into the mix after stepping on the field for the first time since Week 3.
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
Burkhead only rushed the ball for 20 yards on seven carries and contributed in the passing game with two passes for 21yards, but his aggressive running really set the tone for the game. Of course, he felt great just being back out there helping his team win a big game.
"“Whenever you get out there, get the ball back into your hands [and] get a feel for it, it starts to come back quickly,” Burkhead said after the game. “That was a great opponent that was faced so that was a big win for us.”"
Overall, Rex Burkhead showed he is effective when healthy. His presence also enables the team to run two running back sets in different ways. They can have the combo either Burkhead, James White and Sony Michel on the field at any time and have the defense guessing on whether they will run or pass the ball.
The versatility of all three running backs is an offensive weapon the New England Patriots offense has really for the first time this season.
Cordarrelle Patterson got his
Praised entering the Week 13 battle against his former team, New England Patriots playmaker Cordarrelle Patterson was predicted to make some big plays and he did that Sunday afternoon.
Nicknamed “The Experiment” by Tom Brady, Patterson was used in a few different ways to help the Patriots’ offense move the ball against the Vikings. He had just two catches for 53 yards, but both were big plays that put his team in scoring position.
https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1069368644029734912
One of the plays was a basically short pass that he took down the sideline with his speed. The other was the type of play that wowed everyone during training camp.
On a first-and-15 play in the third quarter, Cordarrelle Patterson showed off some wide receiver skills by making a great, low to the ground catch for a 29-yard gain. The play not only showed off his hands, but how pumped up he was to make big plays against the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Patterson also got touch running the ball and of course had a couple opportunities during kickoff returns. His 53 yards receiving, however, was impactful in the team’s win.
For that, Cordarrelle Patterson got some nice revenge against the Vikings.
Brady rushes for 1,000 yards
It took only 19 NFL seasons, but New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has reached a milestone rushing the ball.
That’s right, a feat that most running backs reach in a season, the speedy Brady was able to do in almost two decades of playing professional football.
To Tom Brady’s defense, he isn’t exactly Michael Vick, Randall Cunningham or one of these young, emerging quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes II, but it was nice to see all the slow-footed quarterback scrambles and quarterback sneaks finally add up to yet another milestone.
With the team needing just three yards on a 3rd-and-3 play in the first quarter, Brady showed off his skills by scrambling for five yards on the play for the first down. He quickly arrowed his arm towards the first down marker with a smirk on his face.
😄😄😄 pic.twitter.com/sTBuKvSK9P
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 3, 2018
Oh, he knew. But most importantly, he did what was necessary to help his team convert.
Now he is just worried about staying over 1,000 rushing yards.
"“Hopefully, I don’t go backwards next week,” Brady said. “It was good to get the win – what’s what I’m most excited about. Happy we won [and are] 9-3.”"
While the play was necessary to convert the third down, let’s hope the 41-year-old quarterback doesn’t have to do too much more of that.
Belichick throws the F–bomb
It’s rare to see Bill Belichick animated. The typically stoic coach went off during the 24-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
After challenging a fourth-and-1 call with 8:34 left in the final frame, Belichick was seen aiming f—bombs in the direction of Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen who was also animated.
Apparently, Thielen wasn’t too happy with Patrick Chung appearing to be injured on the play to extend time for Belichick to be able to challenge the call. The Vikings won the challenge, but it appeared the New England Patriots coach won the verbal battle.
More from New England Patriots
- Former Patriot Stevan Ridley Put Kevin Hart in a Wheelchair
- 3 Patriots Who Can Clinch a Roster Spot in Final Preseason Game
- Patriots Get Win Over Division Rivals Before Season Even Begins
- New Massachusetts Sportsbook Promos: $450 Bonus to Bet on Your Patriots at Caesars + DraftKings
- Ezekiel Elliott Reveals 3 Reasons Why He Signed With Patriots
Following the game, both sides downplayed the exchange. Belichick said the two were just exchanging holiday greetings.
Thielen offered a little more.
"“I just thought the play was cheap,” Thielen said following the game. “I wasn’t directing it towards him, I just thought the play was cheap. Like I said, I let the emotions get the best of me because it is a smart football play. If you are in that situation, why not? It’s not cheating because there’s no rule against it from a guy going down and I didn’t know if he was hurt or not – he might have been fine. That is what it is.”"
Adam Thielen was also frustrated the Patriots held him in check mostly the entire game. So, perhaps that was where the real emotions were coming from. Despite the exchange, it kind of sounds like Thielen could end up being coached by Belichick before either career is through.
A lot of times, that kind of exchange is about mutual respect.
A total complete effort
In all, the New England Patriots did what they needed to do to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Against a tough defensive team, they played well enough offensively and stepped up defensively to get the job done.
In holding the Minnesota Vikings to just 10 points, the Patriots played their best total game of the season. It is no coincidence that it just happened to have been the first game in December when the team usually plays their best football.
There are still question marks, but in sticking with the running game and playing physically defensively, the New England Patriots are establishing their identity. They may not have the most explosive offense or the most dominating defense, but the players simply did their job, which has their coach pleased.
In coaching his 300th regular season game, there is nothing Bill Belichick would’ve wanted more than a complete team effort in all three phrases of the game.
It’s on to Miami.