Patriots Choke on Turkey, Mistakes; Lose Late Lead to Vikings
Welcome back, Mac, wasn't enough.
On a Thanksgiving night when New England Patriots' quarterback Mac Jones looked like his Pro Bowl self for the first time this season, it was the defense and special teams that cracked in an excruciating 33-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In a surprising shootout at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, the Patriots let one slip away.
New England, which had won three in a row and five of six with a blueprint founded on defense and special teams, led 23-16 entering the fourth quarter but made costly, uncharacteristic errors down the stretch.
The defense lost control of Vikings' star receiver Justin Jefferson (nine catches for 139 yards) all night and failed to pressure quarterback Kirk Cousins (one sack in 37 drop-backs). And the special teams - which produced the game-winning punt return last Sunday - allowed a kick-off return for a touchdown (97 yards), committed a costly roughing-the-punter penalty (by rookie running back Pierre Strong Jr.) that kept alive Minnesota's game-winning touchdown drive.
Minnesota broke a 26-26 tie when Cousins hit Adam Thielen with a 15-yard touchdown pass with nine minutes remaining.
Though Jones threw for a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns, the offense also faltered.
Tight end Hunter Henry bobbled and dropped a pass on the goal-line, turning a touchdown into a field goal. And needing a score in the final two minutes, offensive tackle Trent Brown was badly beaten by Minnesota's Danielle Hunter for a crucial sack of Jones, followed by receiver Nelson Agholor slowing down on a deep route only to make a diving attempt for a pass just beyond his fingertips at the Vikings' 2-yard line.
The Patriots, now 6-5, were hampered offensively by injuries to running back Damien Harris and receiver Jakobi Meyers. The defense and special teams played their worst games of the season in allowing the Vikings - who were coming off a 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the same building - 358 yards and the 33 points.
The Vikings completed 81 percent of their passes, the second-highest completion percentage against the Patriots under Bill Belichick.
New England's stout defense that held the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets without a touchdown in its last two games coughed up a score on the first drive of the night. It was a portent of things to come on a wild night in Minneapolis.
An abrupt detour from last week's low-scoring slugfest in which the lone touchdown was scored by New England's special teams with five seconds remaining, both offenses clicked early.
The Patriots scored points on six of their first seven possessions but led only 26-23 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Vikings took a 7-0 lead on an 80-yard drive that culminated in Cousins' 6-yard pass to Jefferson. The Patriots countered with perhaps their most crisp drive of the year, tying the game at 7-7 on Mac Jones' gorgeous 34-yard strike to Nelson Agholor.
It was one of Jones' best throws of the year, producing New England's first touchdown scored in the first quarter all season.
Pats' cornerback Jonathan Jones intercepted Kirk Cousins' pass and returned it 55 yards to Minnesota's 17-yard line. But continuing a recurring theme, the Pats' offense bogged down in the Red Zone and settled for a 34-yard Folk field goal and a 10-7 lead.
The Pats pushed their lead to 13-10 on another Folk field goal, a 46-yarder midway through the second quarter set up by last week's hero. Rookie Marcus Jones, who produced the game-winning 84-yard punt return against the Jets, took a kickoff back 46 yards after the Vikings had tied it at 10-10.
New England drove the field at the end of the second quarter, but had to settle for Folk's third field goal for a 16-16 halftime tie.
Mac Jones, who was sharp all night, threw a perfect strike to Hunter Henry for a 37-yard touchdown that gave the Pats a 23-16 lead. But on the ensuing kickoff referees clearly missed a holding penalty that allowed Kene Nwangwu to zip 97 yards down the sideline to tie it at 23-23.
Follow Richie Whitt on Twitter
New England and beyond! Get your Patriots game tickets from SI Tickets ... here!
Follow Patriots Country on Twitter and Facebook
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Patriots? Click Here
More Patriots coverage from Sports Illustrated here.
