The New England Patriots had by far their best win of the season against the Minnesota Vikings last weekend, 24–10. It was not the highest scoring game by any means, but it was important that their defense could show that they could shut down a very good team who will be competing in the playoffs next month. After facing a lot of criticism just a couple weeks prior after the brutal loss against Tennessee, the Patriots really made a statement in this game by looking like the Patriots of the past. They have now set themselves up well for another run at a first round bye and perhaps even the number one seed in the AFC.
Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs have arguably been the best receiving pair in the entire NFL, causing concern for many leading into this matchup. The defense essentially made the two of them irrelevant with their “bend but don’t break” philosophy, as in total the two caught 10 passes for only 77 yards. Thielen caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter, but it was only a five yard pass and was the only TD of the game for the Vikings. Jonathan Jones and Duron Harmon both picked off Kirk Cousins which were costly turnovers that the Patriots capitalized on. Trey Flowers had another good performance off of the edge, including a sack on Cousins.
The Patriots’ opening drive looked as easy as ever, as they drove 81 yards in eight plays, capped off by a James Devlin touchdown run. James White saw a heavy workload in the passing game, as he caught seven balls for 92 yards. Sony Michel got his fair share of handoffs, rushing for 63 yards on 17 carries. The game changed late in the third quarter as soon as Josh Gordon got involved. Tom Brady threw a 24-yard pass to him to kick off the drive which brought them to midfield. A couple of plays later, Brady found Gordon once again for 24 yards; this time for a go-ahead touchdown (17–10). On their very next drive, Josh Gordon drew a 20-yard pass interference penalty, shortly followed by a 10-yard pass to the two-yard line. James Devlin ran it in for his second touchdown of the game, as the Patriots went on to win 24–10.
With four games remaining on the schedule, the Patriots will have their work cut out for them, and will need some help if they want home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Three games are against AFC East opponents, which should be relatively easy wins, as long as the Patriots plays up to expectations. The real test will come on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have one of the best offenses in the league. Brady has been excellent against them his entire career, but beating them is imperative this season, more so than in years past. Even if the Patriots is able to run the table, they will need the Kansas City Chiefs to lose a game in order to get the number one seed. The Chiefs do still play the Los Angeles Chargers, who currently sit in at 9–3, the same record as the Patriots. It is going to be an interesting final stretch here, but look for the  Patriots to run the table and claim the top spot in the AFC.