New England Patriots: Defense looks impressive against Vikings

The New England Patriots were able to get their ninth win of the season in Week 13. In the win, the defense performed very well.

In Week 13, the New England Patriots were able to win their second straight game, as they defeated the Minnesota Vikings by a score 24-10. For the second straight week, the defense of the Patriots performed very well, this time coming against a potential playoff team.

The Vikings have a strong core on offense with Kirk Cousins, Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. Despite the talent on that side of the ball, the Vikings were held to just 10 points. While Cook was able to have some success on the ground, the Vikings only threw for 201 passing yards, which is a very low number.

New England’s secondary was tasked with trying to stop one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, and they certainly answered the call. While Thielen did catch a touchdown, he was only able 28 receiving yards on five receptions. For Diggs, he led the Vikings with just 49 receiving yards, as the Patriots clearly shut the two down.

The success that the Patriots had against the Vikings is a very good sign for the team moving forward. With potential playoff matchups coming against the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots will be facing some talented skill position players.

Holding a fairly dangerous Vikings offense to just 10 points might be the most impressive showing of the season for the Patriots defense. As we get closer to the playoffs, it is very good to see the unit gelling. In addition to forcing two interceptions on Cousins, the Patriots were also able to generate some pressure and sack him twice.

With a 6-0 record at home now, the Patriots will certainly be hoping that the Chiefs slip up somewhere before the end of the season. Comparing the Patriots to some of the other top teams in the AFC, it might be their defense that makes the difference come playoff time.