Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 12

New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings

Patriots: Sunday was one way you don’t see teams winning games much. That was the definition of a defensive struggle that we saw on Sunday against the New York Jets and as expected, the defense came through again with timely stops and getting the ball back. They won that game on a punt return. I’ve only seen that happen once in all my years of watching this game, but hey, a win is a win, right? The Patriots have won three games in a row and are in the hunt for a playoff spot once again. That’s the thing about this team, when they are on a streak, they won’t mention it or celebrate in it. It’s always business as usual and they focus on what’s ahead, which is the next game or what’s in front of them. This is an old school group that doesn’t hesitate to run the football because they are built to do it. Until they draft some Wide Receivers, that’s going to be the blueprint for them to win football games. This is who they are, and they will forever stay within their box. If they don’t have the receivers to stretch the field vertically, they won’t take shots down the field or even attempt it. However, they are still trying to find a consistent rhythm offensively to match the defense that’s been carrying the team for a majority of the season. As I said last week, surround Mac Jones with more weapons and watch him flourish. Put your Quarterback in the best position to succeed. On Thanksgiving Night, they will face the leaders of the NFC North.

Vikings: They were the talk of the league after winning a huge game on the road against the Buffalo Bills. What do I always say about teams in this business? After a big win, you must be able to turn the page. Celebrate the win for a little bit, but get back to work and how can you build off the win? I wish they got that memo on Sunday because they looked terrible against the Dallas Cowboys. The offense couldn’t get anything going at all and the defense struggled to get off the field and limit anything. In more professional terms, the Minnesota Vikings didn’t bother to show up. An offense that’s very electric was held to a Field Goal (three points). Everything went wrong for them. They were committing penalties, the Offensive Line struggled to contain the speed of the Dallas defense and when they didn’t adjust, that’s when the Cowboys defense settled in and never stopped. A few weeks ago, I was asked about them being a contender and I respectfully said no, because they don’t put teams away and they hadn’t put together a complete performance since week one when they defeated the Green Bay Packers. For every negative, there is a positive and this was their first loss since week two when they fell short to the Philadelphia Eagles. Up until Sunday, they were cruising on a nice winning streak. With it being a short week, I need to see how they regroup. They will be at home on Thursday night with the Patriots coming to town looking to continue their winning streak.

Patriots X-Factor: Rhamondre Stevenson– He’s the Patriots most reliable offensive weapon. Rhamondre is a legit Running Back that runs with power, has good hands, good vision and balance. With the ball in his hands and defenders trying to tackle him, he can carry guys with him as he’s running. That’s how powerful he is. Rhamondre is also a threat to catch the football out of the backfield when given the opportunity. Give the ball to your best player and he will handle the rest. Continue to build around him.

Vikings X-Factor: Adam Thielen– He’s one of the veterans of this offense. At one time, the passing game was built around him. Then, they drafted Justin Jefferson and since then, he’s slid into that number two role and has still been productive. Adam is a very crafty receiver, and his route running is some of the best in this league. Depending on how he’s being defended, he knows how to adjust to position himself to make a catch.

Final Thoughts: There’s nothing like some holiday football! This will wrap up the Thanksgiving games on Thursday. The Patriots won’t wow you offensively. They’re fundamentally strong and as I said up top, they will never jump out of their box. Expect them to slow this game down by controlling the clock and winning the Time of Possession battle. In typical Bill Belichick fashion, he’s going to do all he can to limit Justin Jefferson. That’s the matchup I’ll be watching. On the other side, the Vikings must start quickly. They can’t get behind like they did last week, or it’s not going to end well for them. The last time Kirk Cousins played under the lights, he threw three interceptions in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Vikings offense because this New England defense is going to present a challenge.

Prediction: Patriots 22, Vikings 17