Pats Pulpit - Patriots vs. Vikings: News, analysis, injuries, previews, final score, and morePats Pulpit: A New England Patriots Communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51321/pp-fav.png2022-11-30T08:50:53-05:00http://www.patspulpit.com/rss/stream/232389782022-11-30T08:50:53-05:002022-11-30T08:50:53-05:00Vikings’ Kene Nwangwu named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after kickoff return touchdown against Patriots
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<img alt="NFL: NOV 24 Patriots at Vikings" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LLt_qZy2_BKgY4SikMOXzSl7fts=/0x0:3150x2100/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71690835/1245170670.0.jpg" />
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/26/23477781/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-positives-to-take-away">Coping With Loss: Minnesota Vikings Edition</a> </p> <p id="9JEkTR">The <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a>’ Kene Nwangwu has been named the new NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Nwangwu had five kickoff returns for 166 yards, including a 97-yard touchdown, in the Vikings’ win over the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> last Thursday.</p>
<p id="taCOoH">The return touchdown was a decisive play in what turned out to be a 33-26 victory for the Vikings. The Patriots had just scored a touchdown on the opening drive of he third quarter to go up 23-16, but Nwangwu was able to tie the game again with one play.</p>
<p id="A0YKEw">Him earning a Special Teams Player of the Week as a result did not come as a surprise.</p>
<p id="YM7aY3">The honor marks the second time in his career he has received it following Week 9 of the 2021 season. Nwangwu therefore now also shares a rare distinction with an ex-Patriot: he and former New England cornerback/return specialist Ellis Hobbs are the only former Iowa State players winning multiple Special Teams Player of the Week awards.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/new-england-patriots-social-media-video-podcasts/2022/11/30/23485864/vikings-kene-nwangwu-nfc-special-teams-player-of-the-week-kickoff-return-touchdown-patriotsBernd Buchmasser2022-11-28T10:45:33-05:002022-11-28T10:45:33-05:00Bill Belichick claims he didn’t compare Rhamondre Stevenson to Tom Brady, Lawrence Taylor
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Dallas Cowboys" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j_-219rHNmJ1YLNPr4_xmC2FW3Y=/85x43:3000x1986/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71682247/492302736.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Mike Stone/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477941/bill-belichick-heavy-praise-rhamondre-stevenson">Bill Belichick reportedly lofts heavy praise towards Rhamondre Stevenson</a></p> <p id="8uFUv2">Last Thursday’s game between the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> and <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> saw NBC color commentator Jason Garrett tell a story from the pre-game production meeting with Patriots coach Bill Belichick. In that meeting, Belichick apparently had some lofty praise for running back Rhamondre Stevenson.</p>
<p id="uHPPXs">“It was incredible. He went on and on and on,” Garrett <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477941/bill-belichick-heavy-praise-rhamondre-stevenson">recalled</a> on the broadcast. “And Coach doesn’t speak a lot in those production meetings, but he probably talked about Rhamondre for 15 minutes, and he compared his growth and his development in a short period of time to both Tom Brady and to Lawrence Taylor.”</p>
<p id="5t2vQf">On Sunday, Belichick was asked about those statements. It appears he does not remember the meeting the same way Garrett did.</p>
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<p id="mEjELV"><strong>Q: Staying with Rhamondre, Jason Garrett mentioned on the NBC broadcast in your production meeting you compared, in his words, Rhamondre’s growth and development in such a short span to Tom Brady’s and Lawrence Taylor’s. If that’s true, can you expand upon that?</strong></p>
<p id="0A4AVS">BB: I’m not sure. You’d have to talk to Jason about that.</p>
<p id="T3IyCo"><strong>Q: Well, that was his claim that what you said.</strong></p>
<p id="XGUDS2">BB: Yeah, I don’t really remember it quite that way.</p>
<p id="Z0k86b"><strong>Q: Was that inaccurate?</strong></p>
<p id="O1LWNu">BB: Yeah, I don’t — I mean not the way you phrased that. I don’t remember it quite that way. No.</p>
<p id="S8MP2X"><strong>Q: How do you remember it?</strong></p>
<p id="OK8VgE">BB: I mean you’re talking about players who play completely different positions.</p>
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<p id="kfsRAu">Regardless of what Belichick has or hasn’t said about Stevenson, the second-year running back is in the middle of an impressive season. Serving as New England’s No. 1 running back, he ranks first on the team with 1,039 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/new-england-patriots-social-media-video-podcasts/2022/11/28/23481992/bill-belichick-rhamondre-stevenson-growth-tom-brady-lawrence-taylorBernd Buchmasser2022-11-28T06:00:00-05:002022-11-28T06:00:00-05:00Patriots vs. Vikings rookie review: First-year players have a mostly quiet Thanksgiving game
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Minnesota Vikings" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eBdJ6vqRunVeEp-XphdEw6y4frQ=/119x680:2309x2140/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71682130/1444334502.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477225/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-snap-counts">Patriots vs. Vikings snap counts: New England’s defense struggles to get off the field</a></p> <p id="38YLK8">Their Thanksgiving game against the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> saw the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> play some competitive football against one of the better teams in the NFL. In the end, however, they came up just short and lost with a final score of 33-26.</p>
<p id="uVtdkz">Let’s quickly go through all of the first-year players currently on the team to find out how they performed against the Vikings in Week 12. As always, we will start with first-round draft pick Cole Strange and move all the way down to the undrafted free agents.</p>
<p id="Ap8s6S"><strong>G Cole Strange (1-29):</strong> Once again going wire-to-wire at left guard, Strange took a step in the right direction against the Vikings after a string of uneven games versus some of the better defensive fronts in the league. That said, the first-round pick still had his inconsistencies and was credited with four quarterback disruptions given up by <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641910&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pff.com%2Fsubscribe&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patspulpit.com%2F2022%2F11%2F28%2F23481706%2Fpatriots-vs-vikings-week-12-rookie-review-analysis" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Pro Football Focus</a> — the highest such number on the team.</p>
<p id="oHvPMc"><strong>WR Tyquan Thornton (2-50):</strong> Even with Jakobi Meyers limited due to a shoulder injury, Thornton saw limited opportunities. Finishing the game as the Patriots’ WR4 in terms of snaps, he was on the field for 20 of 55 and finished with no touches; he did not even see a single target in the passing game. It was the first such game of his young career.</p>
<p id="qySML2"><strong>CB Marcus Jones (3-85):</strong> The hero of Week 11, Jones also had a solid game as a return man in Week 12. While not scoring a touchdown this time around, he finished with 46-yard kickoff return on his lone runback and a 5.5-yard return average in the punt game. Jones, who once again played exclusively on special teams, also had a tackle in the game’s third phase.</p>
<p id="MN4kcG"><strong>CB Jack Jones (4-121):</strong> Jones had a relatively quiet evening, playing 28 snaps and not making any impact plays one way or the other. He was, however, on the field for the game-winning touchdown and appears to have missed his zone drop a bit on the 15-yard pass from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to wide receiver Adam Thielen.</p>
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<p id="L63wtQ"><strong>RB Pierre Strong Jr. (4-127):</strong> With Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris both available, the Patriots again used Strong Jr. only in the kicking game. And while most of his 17 snaps were unremarkable, he was on the field for both the Vikings’ 97-yard kickoff return — without playing any major role, though — as well as a faux pas of his own: on a 4th-and-3, he ran into the punter. The penalty moved the chains, and three plays later Minnesota went up 33-26.</p>
<p id="8NaLrL"><strong>QB Bailey Zappe (4-137):</strong> Mac Jones played his best game of the season, leading to the fourth-round rookie spending another game on the sidelines. Unless the injury bug bites Jones again it seems unlikely Zappe will return to the starting lineup anytime soon.</p>
<p id="F6nXYT"><strong>RB Kevin Harris (6-183):</strong> The Patriots decided to deactivate their sixth-round running back for a fourth week in a row. With Damien Harris suffering a thigh injury, however, the youngster might be seeing increase opportunities moving forward.</p>
<p id="40U6uL"><strong>DT Sam Roberts (6-200):</strong> Even though Christian Barmore missed another week due to a knee injury, the Patriots decided to deactivate Roberts for the game against the Vikings. The sixth-rounder has now been inactive as a healthy scratch in four straight games.</p>
<p id="G5TIj0"><strong>S Brenden Schooler (UDFA):</strong> Between the kickoff return score and Pierre Strong Jr.’s penalty, the Patriots’ kicking operation had a rough day. Brenden Schooler was again an active part of the unit as well, registering two tackles in his team-high 27 snaps. However, he also came in just a bit too late to chase down the Vikings’ Kene Nwangwu from behind on the touchdown.</p>
<p id="DeQ0R8"><strong>LB DaMarcus Mitchell (UDFA):</strong> Playing 26 snaps in the game’s third phase, Mitchell was part of five units again: like Brenden Schooler he played on punt coverage and return, kickoff coverage and return, and the field goal/extra point block team. He was maybe the closest player to stopping Minnesota’s touchdown, but came just a split-second late off his block.</p>
<p id="SqnUSk"><strong>WR Raleigh Webb (UDFA):</strong> Webb played his usual role on three special teams units. Appearing on the kickoff coverage, kickoff return and punt return squad he too was around Minnesota’s kickoff return TD: Webb was unable to disengage from his block quickly enough.</p>
<p id="1wpTcQ"><strong>OL Kody Russey (UDFA):</strong> The rookie free agent spent the game as interior offensive lineman No. 4, but with the Patriots’ starting offensive line playing all 55 offensive snaps remained on the bench throughout the night. Russey has yet to see any game action since his promotion to the active roster earlier this month.</p>
<p id="OPGHVj">The Patriots’ rookie class extends beyond those 12 players. Offensive lineman Hayden Howerton, defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and defensive back Brad Hawkins are all on the practice squad. New England did not elevate any of them to the game-day team versus the Vikings, meaning that they all still have three standard elevations available.</p>
<p id="xWHGqG">Additionally, the Patriots have three rookie players on injury-related reserve lists. Sixth-round offensive lineman Chasen Hines is on injured reserve and eligible to return this week; seventh-round offensive tackle Andrew Stueber remains on the non-football injury list and appears to be in the middle of a redshirt campaign; UDFA defensive lineman LaBryan Ray is on the practice squad injury list.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/28/23481706/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-rookie-review-analysisBernd Buchmasser2022-11-26T10:00:00-05:002022-11-26T10:00:00-05:00Coping With Loss: Minnesota Vikings Edition
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<img alt="NFL: New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xT6eInaEmIe89x18LW4ch_F_t9o=/0x0:3592x2395/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71675809/usa_today_19498210.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477273/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-fan-notes-from-the-game">Patriots vs. Vikings: Fan Notes from the Game</a></p> <p id="d4WetB">Hopefully you’re all out enjoying a beautiful November Saturday, shopping at small businesses and supporting your local economies. The one plus about a Thursday night game is that we all get a weekend off from football should we so choose.</p>
<p id="iBTqqN">But if you’re still sore from Thursday in a manner that wasn’t self-inflicted by calories and tryptophan, maybe this article will ease the pain a bit. Here are five positives we can all take away from the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>’ loss to the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a>.</p>
<p id="meraVH"><strong>Expected Loss. </strong>This is one of those games that I can’t imagine features too many shocked fans. Perhaps early in the year before the Vikings emerged as one of the better teams in the NFC, there were folks who thought New England would take this one. But I know that I had this game pegged as an L for a long time. I had the 2022 Patriots finishing 10-7 with losses against Miami, Green Bay, Baltimore, Buffalo twice, Minnesota, and Cincy, so they’re more or less where I thought they’d be by this point in the season (stupid Bears). The loss certainly didn’t help their playoff chances, but it for sure didn’t doom them either. Especially since...</p>
<p id="Xx9d6f"><strong>Non-conference Loss. </strong>Should the playoff picture come down to tiebreakers (which may very well be the case given how tight the AFC is), this loss to the Vikings isn’t really going to factor in too heavily. The loss itself matters, of course, but if you’re in a tie and you have to get all the way down to non-conference opponents to decide which team gets in, it likely doesn’t bode well for your playoff chances anyway. This is a fairly easy game to move on from.</p>
<p id="NZlS0y"><strong>Patriots were in it. </strong>New England continues to shoot themselves in the foot with costly penalties and a few boneheaded plays that ended up swinging the game. They were right in this game until the very end and honestly, I feel like Agholor could have hauled in that 4th down heave. Not to mention the Henry TD that wasn’t and some poor clock management at the end of both halves. Losing in a blowout may be easier on the ticker since it’s over early, but the Patriots can hang with any team in the NFL and Thursday night once again proved that.</p>
<p id="JJOlqo"><strong>Offense looked solid. </strong>Thursday’s game was the best the Patriots have looked offensively and it isn’t even close. I don’t want to go as far as to say that the offensive woes have magically healed themselves, but this was the first time all year that New England looked strong enough offensively where we aren’t sitting here saying the team lost because the O couldn’t move the ball. I’m hoping that they can build off of this and continue to play strong complimentary football.</p>
<p id="0ChnHR"><strong>Leftovers! </strong>One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the meals we get out of the leftovers from the big day. Turkey sandwiches with crunchy mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Those random plates of nothing but sides, just because. A few slices of pie for breakfast because why not? This is a great weekend to recover, watch some football, and continue eating all the stuff we didn’t have room for on Thursday. So if you’re still feeling down, head to the fridge and grab yourself that leg you hid behind the creamed turnips because you knew Uncle Stu would snipe it if you didn’t stash it somewhere you knew he’d never look.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/26/23477781/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-positives-to-take-awayAlec Shane2022-11-25T18:00:00-05:002022-11-25T18:00:00-05:00Patriots rookie Pierre Strong Jr. hopes to grow from crucial penalty against Vikings
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<img alt="New England Patriots Training Camp" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GY2e4hFkJ4iBdWXBX4aWUa3Ilmg=/426x237:3227x2104/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71674378/1242401320.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477622/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-sloppiness-belichick">Patriots stumble over their own sloppiness in loss to Vikings</a></p> <p id="PCzT8Y">With their Thanksgiving night game against the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> tied at 26 in the early fourth quarter, the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> defense made an important stop on a 3rd-and-14. They limited the Vikings to 11 yards on their third-down pass, forcing them to send their punt team onto the field.</p>
<p id="ttqJ79">One play later, the Minnesota offense was back out there. What had happened? Patriots rookie Pierre Strong Jr. made a no-no.</p>
<p id="VJlDf0">Aligning as a pressure player on the punt return team, the fourth-round draft pick attempted to block the kick from fellow rookie Ryan Wright. However, Strong Jr. came in too hot, made contact with Wright’s right leg and drew a penalty for running into the kicker.</p>
<p id="TIfUwg">The 5-yard infraction moved the chains on 4th-and-3, and eventually set the stage for the Vikings to score the go-ahead touchdown just three plays later.</p>
<p id="6ZSFd5">Needless to say that the flag was a big one. Speaking to reporters in the locker room after the game, Strong Jr. took ownership of the error.</p>
<p id="PUkhuu">“Bad play by me,” the youngster <a href="https://twitter.com/ByChrisMason/status/1596009172914819076">told</a> MassLive’s Chris Mason. “I’ve got to learn from it and grow from it. So it’s on me.”</p>
<p id="fay50P">Strong Jr. running into Wright on the punt was among the biggest plays of the day from a statistical perspective. It cost New England 10 win-percentage points and 2.7 expected points — ranking tenth and ninth in the respective categories on the day.</p>
<p id="S59tYK">It was not the Patriots’ only special teams blunder, though. The unit also surrendered a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter and additionally struggled to win the field position on an off-day for punter Michael Palardy.</p>
<p id="JQAsOt">“We feel like we let the team down with our performance,” team captain Matthew Slater said after the game. “I always tell guys, ‘You’ve got to stay here’ when things are going well. That you can’t get too far ahead of yourself and start celebrating. And then when you have nights like tonight, you have to try to keep moving forward and not get too down.”</p>
<p id="mXC3pR">Slater, Strong Jr. and the rest of the Patriots’ special teams unit will get a chance to redeem themselves next Thursday night. The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> will visit Gillette Stadium, and the field position battle will once again be crucial.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23478378/patriots-rookie-pierre-strong-jr-grow-from-crucial-penalty-against-vikingsBernd Buchmasser2022-11-25T17:00:00-05:002022-11-25T17:00:00-05:00Patriots vs. Vikings injury analysis: Jakobi Meyers among several players shaken up in Week 12
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Minnesota Vikings" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eeeh1jnksiUFOW9DXHPN8V6mAI8=/1152x10:3212x1383/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71674282/1444323396.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477225/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-snap-counts">Patriots vs. Vikings snap counts: New England’s defense struggles to get off the field</a></p> <p id="Y3SLMG">The <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>’ return to primetime ended in disappointment. The team lost 33-26 to the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a> on Thanksgiving night, and along the way also saw several of its players get shaken up.</p>
<p id="NBodtj">Let’s take a look at who was either announced as injured during the game or caught our eye after re-watching the contest.</p>
<h3 id="sFsnpZ">Injury analysis</h3>
<p id="FKCG0w"><strong>WR Jakobi Meyers:</strong> The Patriots started their first possession with a 26-yard completion from Mac Jones to Jakobi Meyers, but it came at a cost. Meyers came down hard on his right shoulder while making the reception, and was forced to exit the game. He headed into the locker room but returned to the sidelines later in the first half. Meyers eventually returned but was shaken up a second time in the third quarter; he clearly was not at full strength over the final 15 of his 16 total snaps.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><div id="6MSedO"><div data-anthem-component="aside:11641518"></div></div></div>
<p id="qfYIrU"><strong>WR DeVante Parker:</strong> Following the Patriots’ first offensive series, Parker went into the blue medical tent to have his lower right leg looked at. He did miss the next drive — a three-and-out — but returned to the sideline and eventually finished the game with 47 snaps as well as a team-high 80 receiving yards on four catches.</p>
<p id="9C3xVj"><strong>RB Damien Harris:</strong> The first possession of the second half saw Harris exit the game with a slight limp following a run for no yards. He was later deemed questionable to return with a thigh injury and ruled out before the conclusion of the game. Afterwards, the fourth-year man was spotted on a pair of crutches in the locker room.</p>
<p id="c0YbV8"><strong>S Devin McCourty:</strong> A 36-yard completion to Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the fourth quarter saw McCourty limping away from the scene of the crime; the veteran safety had come in to tackle Jefferson. Nonetheless, he stayed in the game and ended up with a 100 percent playing-time share.</p>
<p id="IySUtY"><strong>WR Nelson Agholor:</strong> It was not the Patriots’ final offensive play of the day, but an incomplete pass on 4th-and-16 just inside the two-minute warning very much sealed the deal. The target on that play? Nelson Agholor, who stayed down after stretching out for the throw. No injury was announced, but Agholor did not reenter the game for the final three offensive plays later in the fourth quarter.</p>
<h3 id="UFcQiv">What this means for the Patriots</h3>
<p id="GQdVJo">New England’s injury list grew substantially on Thanksgiving, even with two of the issues — DeVante Parker’s and Devin McCourty’s — seemingly not too big a concern. The others, however, are definitely worth keeping an eye on heading into a pivotal Week 13 matchup with the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a>.</p>
<p id="WajBAs">Jakobi Meyers returned to the game from his shoulder injury but, as noted above, was less than a hundred percent. How his body will respond in the coming days will be critical, even though there is some optimism about his outlook.</p>
<p id="8yYZxH">The same cannot be said with certainty about Damien Harris and Nelson Agholor.</p>
<p id="ZnGnmv">Losing Harris for any period of time would further put stress on New England’s running back group and especially its top member, Rhamondre Stevenson. The sophomore is already carrying a heavy workload, but an injury to Harris would make his role even more important. The same is true for the depth RBs on the team’s pay roll: rookies Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris on the active roster, and third-year man J.J. Taylor who recently re-signed with the practice squad.</p>
<p id="nZcFo3">As for Agholor, the game against the Vikings was his best since Week 2. Seeing it end in injury was unfortunate, although the extent of the issue is not known at this point. Should he miss time, though, the Patriots will likely give more snaps to rookie Tyquan Thornton as well as Kendrick Bourne.</p>
<p id="MfVB4H">Whatever the injuries may be, the Patriots’ first practice report of Week 13 will tell us more about it. New England will release it on Monday for the upcoming Thursday night game against Buffalo.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477356/patriots-jets-injury-analysis-nfl-week-12-meyers-parker-agholorBernd Buchmasser2022-11-25T13:00:00-05:002022-11-25T13:00:00-05:00Bill Belichick reportedly lofts heavy praise towards Rhamondre Stevenson
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<img alt="New England Patriots v Minnesota Vikings" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sAWuj1e9Gc8bNU9l1NL8M36v6j0=/0x0:3734x2489/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71673535/1444320818.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Berding/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p><strong>Related: </strong><a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477451/hunter-henry-controversial-reversed-touchdown-patriots">Hunter Henry discusses controversial reversed touchdown catch</a></p> <p id="mT4lM4"><a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a> head coach Bill Belichick has lofted heavy praise towards second-year running back Rhamondre Stevenson this season. Belichick is already on record saying he loves Stevenson, but has now compared him to two all-time football greats.</p>
<p id="8D3iW8">During the broadcast of the Patriots’ Thanksgiving game against the <a href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Minnesota Vikings</a>, NBC’s Jason Garrett shared the major compliment Belichick gave his back during their production meeting.</p>
<p id="uHPPXs">“It was incredible. He went on and on and on,” Garrett said. “And Coach doesn’t speak a lot in those production meetings, but he probably talked about Rhamondre for 15 minutes, and he compared his growth and his development in a short period of time to both Tom Brady and to Lawrence Taylor.”</p>
<p id="NA28AA">That is some major praise from Belichick, who won six Super Bowls next to Tom Brady and never shies away from talking about the greatness of former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. </p>
<p id="cPcY9x">Stevenson is worthy of the praise, however. After failing his conditioning test as a rookie, he has been one of the Patriots’ main sources of offense this season. Through 11 games, the second-year back has 151 carries for 680 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 50 receptions for an additional 359 yards and a score.</p>
<p id="QgHcxf">As Belichick then said, via NBC’s Tony Dungy, Stevenson has been one of New England’s “most dependable players” this season.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477941/bill-belichick-heavy-praise-rhamondre-stevensonBrian Hines2022-11-25T12:00:00-05:002022-11-25T12:00:00-05:00Patriots vs. Vikings: Fan Notes from the Game
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<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477471/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-thanksgiving-takeaways">10 things we learned from the Patriots’ loss to the Vikings</a></p> <p id="TUAGOa">I’m going to level with all of you, I’m in rough shape this morning. The Shane Family usually eats Thanksgiving dinner at around 2 or 2:30, which means I’m done eating by 4, passed out on the couch at 4:15, then awake and somewhat refreshed by the end of the Cowboys game. I get a bit of a second wind, grab a plate of leftovers, and settle in for the night game. It’s a system that has been working well for me for almost all of my life.</p>
<p id="BSGi5U">This year, though, scheduling conflicts made it so we couldn’t all get together until 4:30, which ended up throwing everything way off. I may or may not have tucked into the holiday spirits a little early, and with no food to absorb any of that holiday cheer until 4:30 things may or may not have gotten a little out of hand. We didn’t finish eating until 7, so I was in no shape to do much of anything by the time kickoff rolled around. I watched the whole game, and I have some notes for you all — but what follows is far from my best work.</p>
<p id="tHXuB2">Plus I have to gear up for USA vs. England in a few hours, and my father (who was born and raised in England) is already channeling his inner soccer hooligan and I haven’t even finished by coffee yet. So here’s hoping that you’re all getting into the charitable mood this holiday season and giving me a bit of a mulligan on these abbreviated <em>Fan Notes</em>.</p>
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<li id="jUB1eC">I know the Patriots dropped this one... but to be honest, these are the kind of losses you’re OK with, for the most part. The offense played its best game of the season and the Vikings are one of the top teams in the NFL.</li>
<li id="3Etls9">Plus, the Patriots win this game if a handful of plays go differently. That kick return for a touchdown was a momentum killer, and Pierre Strong Jr. kept what ended up being a touchdown drive alive with a running into the kicker penalty. Obviously the game went the way it went, and you can almost always say “If a few plays had gone differently we win this game,” so there’s no time for excuse-making. But it’s not like the Vikings blew them out here.</li>
<li id="Xoxh15">Speaking of excuses... I don’t want to spend too much time dwelling on the Hunter Henry TD that wasn’t. It’s over and there’s no changing it now. And ultimately the Patriots had other opportunities to win the game and couldn’t do it; you never want to blame the refs for anything because it accomplishes nothing. So all I’ll say is:</li>
<li id="BMJwtj">The <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> hit their tight end in a wildly similar fashion in 2018 to seemingly take the lead against the Patriots late in the game. It was ruled an incomplete pass by the technical letter of NFL law even though it probably should have been a catch, and so the NFL <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-jesse-james-pleased-with-catch-rule-changes-0ap3000000923532">adjusted the rules</a> to ensure that should a similar play, like, oh I don’t know... maybe a 3rd-and-goal catch by a tight end on Thanksgiving night for a huge momentum swing, happen in the future, it would be ruled a TD.</li>
<li id="VNLWWz">I have lost count of the number of times over the years I have watched an NFL play, looked at every single replay angle available to me as a viewer, said to myself “absolutely nowhere is there clear, indisputable, incontrovertible evidence that the call on the field should not stand,” only to see the refs reverse the play anyway. Last night was just the latest example. I didn’t see a single angle that definitively proved that Henry’s hand wasn’t under the ball at all times. Yes it moved, but it’s allowed to move as long as it’s not touching the ground.</li>
<li id="laCjXX">But again, it is what it is. Moving on.</li>
<li id="EOiIbE">New England held Dalvin Cook to 42 yards on 22 carries, good for under two yards per attempt, and the Vikings as a whole to 57 yards on the ground. They also only allowed 171 yards through the air to everyone not named Justin Jefferson. The pass rush just couldn’t get home, which ultimately ended up being the deciding factor. </li>
<li id="ik7QEs">I also should say that the Patriots DBs ultimately lost their individual battles to some very good receivers. Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson are one of the best WR duos in the league, and without a consistent pass rush it’s just too much to ask for the corners to cover for that long.</li>
<li id="UaxfXM">As fun as it is to watch a receiver like Justin Jefferson do Justin Jefferson things, every time I see it I look at the list of receivers New England has drafted high over the years and wonder what the hell the front office sees in those guys and why they can’t for the life of them find a similar pass catcher. The repo man isn’t coming for Tyquan Thornton and his eight catches for 86 yards on the season yet, of course... but you have to wonder if he’s going to be in the neighborhood and asking questions before too long.</li>
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<li id="Gq0wid">But again, you have to be happy with what you saw overall from the offense last night. It took until Week 12, but the Patriots finally scored a first-quarter touchdown. And I don’t know exactly what happened between last week and last night, but the Patriots seemed to have an offensive line for the first time all season. The Jets are a great defense, sure... but the Vikings can’t be so far beneath them that they made this line look competent like that.</li>
<li id="wXje4q">It might be that the play-action was working so well. There also seemed to be better timing on the routes, as the All-22 showed a refreshing number of receivers turning around just as Mac Jones finished his dropback.</li>
<li id="nbSHrI">But let’s all be honest: the Vikings got the ball, drove right down the field and scored, and we were all thinking “New England is going three-and-out here with a sack, Minnesota is going to score again, and that’s going to be the game.” But New England put together its best offensive drive of the season, Mac Jones threw some absolute dimes, and you just kind of had a feeling that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMRrNY0pxfM">maybe there’s a chance</a> for this offense.</li>
<li id="3usZgo">I’d love to see them build off of this by getting Parker more involved on the sidelines, getting Kendrick Bourne the ball in space more, taking at least one of two deep shots to Thornton, and... well... something with Jonnu Smith. Maybe he can find a home as a full-time fullback.</li>
<li id="qwJLnp">Bill Belichick loves talking about situational football. With that in mind, I wonder how much time he has spent this season working on 3rd-and-15 plays in practice.</li>
<li id="2XWn1r">I feel like Agholor should have had that 4th-and-14 pass that more or less ended the game. He seemed to have separation and Jones put it where only he could get it — I just don’t know if they had the timing and communication down perfectly. Agholor seemed to kind of stop instead of continue the route.</li>
<li id="tzhGHS">I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that New England’s special teams unit may have cost them this game. The kick return and a the running into the kicker penalty aside, it was another weak day for the punt unit and the field position battle was in favor of Minnesota. The two things you could set your watch by with the Patriots — disciplined football and special teams play — are liabilities this year and it’s really weird.</li>
<li id="jQwSk7">I want to end this positively and so I will. Mac Jones was dealing last night and it may have been his best game as a pro. He took advantage of his clean pockets and made decisive throws to receivers who weren’t the check-down option. The offense didn’t lose this game for the Patriots and that’s the first time I can say that in 2022.</li>
<li id="46O7nJ">I don’t know about any of you... but I like Thanksgiving night Patriots games when they’re over by halftime and the opposing QB Buttfumbles is way into the history books.</li>
<li id="2F058S">If I learned nothing else from this game, I learned that I can almost never spell Minnesota right on the first try. I don’t know why my brain insists it’s “Minessota,” but that’s what I type first every time.</li>
<li id="ajiiSn">And if I’ve learned nothing else from this Patriots season, it’s that they really struggle to neutralize whatever their opponent’s best weapon is. Josh Allen is going to rush for 150 yards next week.</li>
<li id="GXSCJ4">If the Patriots miss the playoffs this year, there’s a chance we’ll be able to point to that Pierre Strong Jr. penalty as the thing that ultimately ended up doing it. It may be the Damien Harris Week 1 goal line fumble of 2021 for this season. Time will tell. That’s going to stick with me.</li>
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<p id="QkPMPC">The Patriots have a full week to get ready for a <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> team that has looked very mortal over these past few games. There’s virtually no room for error anymore, and 3-3 over these last six games might not be enough for a playoff berth given the way the AFC is shaking out. New England is going to have to take one of these two games against Buffalo, and I like their chances at home in December way better than I like their chances on the road the last week of the season when the No. 1 seed may be on the line. So, let’s move on and get ready to fight.</p>
<p id="vF2oAW">Hope everyone had a great holiday.</p>
https://www.patspulpit.com/2022/11/25/23477273/patriots-vs-vikings-week-12-fan-notes-from-the-gameAlec Shane