Bedard: This group will decide the Patriots' fate vs. the Vikings

FOXBOROUGH — This game is going to be a tough matchup for the Patriots' offense.

Between Mike Zimmer's smarts and the collection of talent on that side of the ball, the Vikings are going to give Tom Brady and Co. issues at times in this afternoon's game.

Minnesota may not be quite the same unit as a year ago — mostly because Everson Griffen (personal issues) and Anthony Barr (hamstring) have not played up to their usual elite status — but the potential is there and they don't usually beat themselves, which makes for more of a grind-it-out mode for the Patriots' offense.

That's why the Patriots are going to need the defense to play how they have most of the time at home. Even with the 40 points allowed to the Chiefs, New England has allowed a respectable 22 points per game at home. Toss that game out, and it's 17.

Overall, since the Bears game, the Patriots' defense has allowed 17.5 points per game — even with the disappointing 34-point effort against the Titans.

So the potential is there for Patriots' defense, which has at times received a bum rap, to do their part and help deliver a big victory.

For that to happen, one group is going to have to dominate this game: the defensive line.

It's there for them. We'll have to see whether they can deliver.

Here's the deal with the Vikings' offense: if the running game is not there for them — and it hasn't been for most of the season — then Minnesota gets very pass happy. That does not play to the strengths of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Can he sling it if need be? Sure. When he gets into a rhythm, he can certainly exploit a secondary like the Patriots. But, really, Cousins is the type of quarterback who needs help to be effective. That means he needs an effective running game to be at his best.

So the No. 1 point of emphasis for the Patriots is to stop the run and make the Vikings more one dimensional, which will allow the Patriots to play coverage. And make no mistake, the Patriots are going to need all the players they can muster in coverage against the Vikings' plethora of weapons: Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs (if healthy), Kyle Rudolph and Cook.

In a perfect world, the Patriot would like to double team both Thielen and Diggs in key situations (third downs, red zone). But they can only do that if a) the Patriots stop the run, and b) effectively rush Cousins with just four.

That means, in my mind, this matchup comes down to the Vikings line and the Patriots' defensive line rotation.

This is a matchup the Patriots are fully capable of winning. The Vikings' offensive line is terrible so the expectation should be for New England to dominate up front.

If they can't, the Patriots will lose this game.

Left tackle Riley Reiff is a right tackle playing left tackle. I used to get into arguments all the time with Lions fans about Reiff. Well, they eventually wised up and moved on from him. Trey Flowers (early downs) and Adrian Clayborn (sub) should be able to stop the run and then get after Cousins from this spot.

Right tackle Brian O'Neill is worse than Reiff, so Kyle Van Noy, John Simon, Deatrich Wise and Flowers should own that matchup all game long.

The interior matchup ... this is where the game will hinge in my estimation. LG Tom Compton, C Pat Elflein and RG Mike Remmers are one of the weakest interior line combinations in the league. It's up to Lawrence Guy and Malcom Brown/Danny Shelton to stuff the run, and then Flowers and Adam Butler to may hay as sub rushers.

Guy has been good all season; one of the top five players in terms of performance for the Patriots this season. Brown and Shelton have largely underachieved this season. Hopefully, the coaches challenged them this week because if they win up front, the Patriots should be able to stop the run and get pressure on Cousins without blitzing.

It's all on the defensive line in this game. For the defensive unit to continue to be effective, they must win their one-on-one matchups.

It's this for this group. The scoreboard will tell you whether they won or not by the end of the night.