Vikings hold off Patriots, take commanding lead in NFC North

MINNEAPOLIS -- In a crippled packed with item plays, the Minnesota Vikings held disconnected the New England Patriots connected Thanksgiving nighttime for a 33-26 victory.

Both teams scored aboriginal successful each half, including a thrilling kickoff instrumentality touchdown by the Vikings successful effect to a Patriots people to commencement the 2nd half.

The Vikings determination to 9-2 connected the season, portion the Patriots gaffe to 6-5.

Minnesota Vikings

Fresh disconnected 1 of the worst location losses successful squad history, the Viking did precisely what they wanted to bash Thursday night: Move connected from it.

Their triumph implicit the Patriots made it a batch easier to tummy a 37-point nonaccomplishment they absorbed 4 days earlier from the Dallas Cowboys, 1 that had called into question whether they could beryllium considered 1 of the NFL's apical teams.

By beating the Patriots, the Vikings recorded their 2nd triumph implicit a squad with a winning grounds successful their past 3 games. If idiosyncratic told you the Vikings would bushed the Patriots and the Buffalo Bills successful a three-week span, what would you accidental astir them? A tenable statement could beryllium made that, yes, they are among the apical 5 teams successful the NFL.

Just arsenic important, a Cowboys crippled that receiver Justin Jefferson called "embarrassing" and "a catastrophe each around" tin beryllium amended viewed arsenic an aberration alternatively than a heavy look into the Vikings' future.

The Vikings volition present person 10 days to hole for their adjacent game, astatine location against the New York Jets, arsenic they adjacent successful connected an NFC North rubric and stay successful contention for the NFC's apical seed.

Describe the crippled successful 2 words: Very close. The Vikings took the pb 3 abstracted times successful this game, mislaid it doubly and, overall, were tied with the Patriots 5 antithetic times. Games similar that seldom hap successful the NFL. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was lone the 2nd clip successful 7 seasons erstwhile the people has been tied separately connected astatine slightest 5 antithetic times.

QB breakdown: Kirk Cousins threw a atrocious interception successful the archetypal quarter, a propulsion disconnected his backmost ft that sailed acold past receiver K.J. Osborn, but helium avoided immoderate different large mistakes during this prime-time game. He finished with 30 completions, the astir against the Patriots this season, connected 37 attempts for 299 yards and 2 scores. Most importantly, helium expertly drove the Vikings to their winning touchdown by throwing a cleanable 36-yard spell walk to Jefferson earlier helium recovered Adam Thielen unfastened for a 15-yard score.

Pivotal play: Returner Kene Nwangwu brought backmost a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown successful the 3rd quarter, his archetypal of the play aft returning 2 for scores arsenic a rookie past season. The instrumentality answered a Patriots touchdown connected the erstwhile play and tied the crippled astatine 23, an important affectional plaything that allowed the Vikings to debar a imaginable avalanche. The Patriots were 1 of the fewer teams to situation Nwangwu this season. He entered the crippled with 19 returns each season, arsenic astir teams person been kicking heavy for touchbacks, but helium had 5 against the Patriots alone.

Next game: vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots' reddish portion struggles connected discourtesy came backmost to haunt them Thursday nighttime against the Minnesota Vikings.

They were 0-for-3 wrong the 20-yard enactment against the NFL's last-ranked reddish portion defense. The Vikings were 3-of-5.

Ballgame.

Of course, there's much to it than conscionable that, but until the Patriots find answers to crook those situations into points, it threatens their hopes to marque a propulsion to the postseason. Quarterback Mac Jones had talked astir trying to "flip the switch" successful the reddish zone, but that didn't travel to fruition against the Vikings.

A adjacent telephone successful the 3rd 4th that was overturned connected replay by referee Alex Kemp -- erstwhile Jones initially appeared to link with choky extremity Hunter Henry for a touchdown -- was a notable facet to the team's deficiency of reddish portion production.

Biggest spread successful the crippled plan: It's akin to what happens to astir teams that play the Vikings -- covering receiver Justin Jefferson. He shredded the Patriots (9 catches, 139 yards, 1 TD) and showed wherefore he's 1 of the NFL's elite pass-catchers.

Describe the crippled successful 2 words: Playoff caliber. A large situation astatine U.S. Bank Stadium and 2 teams that went toe-to-toe with each other.

QB breakdown: Jones played his champion crippled of the play -- peculiarly erstwhile attacking down the field. He was 5-of-5 for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns connected throws traveling 15-plus yards down the field. In his archetypal 7 games this season, helium had 1 full touchdown connected throws 15-plus yards downfield.

Promising trend: The shorthanded violative enactment -- with near tackle Trent Brown, near defender Cole Strange, halfway James Ferentz, close defender Mike Onwenu and close tackle Yodny Cajuste -- provided Jones with the champion walk extortion he's had each season. As a result, Jones looked similar a antithetic quarterback.

Under-the-radar stat that matters: The Patriots allowed 5 archetypal downs via penalties, tied for their astir successful a crippled successful the past 3 seasons. It is their astir since Week 11 of 2019 astatine Philadelphia (also five).

Next game: vs. Bills (8:15 p.m. ET, Thursday)