Studs
Mac Jones
Mac Jones did everything he could to win this game, and he might have had the best game of his career. The Patriots answered the early Vikings touchdown with a score of their own. Jones was dialed in the whole game, making one throw after another. The sophomore quarterback finished 28 of 39 for 382 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers. It is Jones’s third consecutive game without a turnover, the longest stretch of his career. The Alabama product couldn’t have had a good performance without help from the offensive line, which kept him clean the entire game. The Patriots are picking up big-chunk plays but need to be better in crucial situations. On third down, they were 3-10 and 0-3 in the red zone. That’s not the recipe for success, but at least they’re moving in the right direction.
Offensive line
Hey! The Patriot’s offensive line without two key starters had its best season performance, resulting in a sufficient offensive game. Quarterback Mac Jones told reporters after the game, “They did a great job. I didn’t feel pressure at all, hardly. … If we can continue to do that, I think things will go our way.” Jones’s first sack came with a couple of minutes left in the fourth quarter, and frankly, Jones was brought down by the face mask, and it should have been a penalty. The Patriots’ offensive line performance translated well, and that will have to continue Thursday night against the Bills.
DeVante Parker
After being injured for the last couple of weeks, DeVante Parker returned to action and had his biggest receiving game since Week 3. Jakobi Meyers battled injuries all game long, and the veteran DeVante Parker stepped up and became Jones’s most consistent target. Parker tallied four receptions for 80 yards, with three of his catches coming in crucial situations. The veteran has helped the Patriots become more explosive on offense. Parker is currently second in the league in yards per reception (20.5), and he added to his total on Thursday, averaging 20 yards per catch. The Patriots should utilize Parker and his reliable playmaking more to become a more dynamic offense.
Duds
Secondary
The Patriots’ pass defense has been above par as of late but had plenty of trouble guarding the Vikings’ wideouts on Thursday. Justin Jefferson dodged whatever the Patriots threw at him, tallying 139 yards and a touchdown. During the second half, their coverage was better, but the beating was already done. Jonathan Jones had the tall task of covering Jefferson, and while he struggled, he also committed two face mask penalties, which added 15 yards both times. Kyle Dugger also struggled and let T.J. Hockenson get revenge for a one-reception game in Week 5. Hockenson caught five of six targets for 43 yards and a score.
Special teams
The Patriots’ special teams won the game against the Jets last week, as Marcus Jones returned a late punt for a touchdown, but this week they deeply regressed. Late in the fourth quarter, Pierre Strong Jr. ran into the punter on fourth down, allowing the Vikings to pick up a key first down. The Vikings would end up scoring a touchdown off of that mistake. Furthermore, for the first time since 2010, the Patriots allowed a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown. Although the Vikings may have gotten away with a few flags, it is still unacceptable. The punter problems continue in New England after newly added veteran Michael Palardy struggled, shanking a 31-yard punt and missing a couple more. Marcus Jones also decided to field a punt deep in Patriots territory, and he was tackled immediately.
Officials
This may have been the most poorly officiated game of the season–according to NFL Twitter. Alex Kemp and his crew blatantly missed calls all game that led to points or subtracted them. Stay with me; I will explain three missed calls with video evidence. First, the Patriots had to punt in the fourth quarter after a three-and-out. Next, key special teamer Matthew Slater got pushed from behind by Kamehameha Wave, and then he was held some more. Although the kick return didn’t go very far, it should have been negated due to penalties.
Now to a kick return that proved deadly for the Patriots. When returner Kene Nwangwu returned a 97-yard kick for a touchdown, Patriots fans were not happy. Kyle Dugger was held numerous times by C.J. Ham, preventing him from making the tackle. There were other holding calls on the play, but the missed call on Dugger was the most obvious and egregious.
Hunter Henery scored a six-yard touchdown, but the call was overturned on the field and cost the Patriots points. To overturn a call in the NFL, there has to be clear and undisputable evidence, and that was not the case. Henry reached over the white line and clearly had possession of the football. Belichick described this reversal as a four-point point.
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My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
