3. Headaches in the return phase
Felton got the first chance as the Vikings’ punt returner with Rondale Moore out for the season with a knee injury, but his early gaffe came as a kick returner. He fumbled a return when Jack Gibbens stripped him of the ball. Then, after Felton forced a fumble as a punt gunner last week, he lost contain on Marcus Jones’ first-quarter punt return, which went for 37 yards and set up the Patriots’ first TD. Just before halftime, the Vikings gave up a 62-yard return to Jeremiah Webb along the Patriots’ sideline, as several Vikings players missed tackles to allow Webb to reach Minnesota territory before the clock ran out on the half. Then, in the second half, Dwight McGlothern was called for going out of bounds on a punt return, which was the second time the Vikings had been flagged for it in the game.
“We’ve got some stuff going on right now that I’m not too happy about, fellas,” O’Connell said as the penalty happened, while on the air with the Vikings’ broadcast in the third quarter.
Price had an 81-yard return in the fourth quarter to put the Vikings at the Patriots 8, before Will Reichard’s final field goal.
4. Defense leaves space for Dobbs
Josh Dobbs, the Vikings’ impromptu hero for two weeks in 2023, is now a Patriots backup, and Dobbs had the most productive stretch of the day for their offense. He completed 11 of his 16 passes, hitting Elton Chism III for 33 yards from a clean pocket before he found Chism for a 12-yard TD on third-and-9 in the second quarter. Dobbs, like the rest of the Patriots’ quarterbacks, wasn’t sacked, though the Vikings registered seven QB hits (including another three from edge rusher Gabriel Murphy).
5. Vikings get introduced to NFL’s virtual measurement system
When Zavier Scott was stopped short of a first down in the second quarter, the Vikings got a taste of the NFL’s new virtual measurement system. The broadcast showed O’Connell hovered over a tablet with line judge Quentin Givens, watching a clip of the measurement and smiling (perhaps at the fact that this is what we’ve come to). The measurement found Scott to be three inches short of a first down, and when Rypien threw incomplete for Scott while escaping pressure on third down before missing Thomas on fourth down, the Vikings’ drive ended without points.