Ryan: Days removed from special-teams triumph at Gillette, Patriots see fortunes reversed against Vikings

On a chilly Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium, the various foot soldiers that make up New England’s special-teams unit found themselves racing into the end zone in frenzied disbelief — swarming their on-field sparkplug in Marcus Jones after the rookie bested the Jets with a final-minute, walk-off punt return touchdown. 

It was a fortune-shifting (and potentially season-saving) sequence for the Patriots’ special-teams squad — a group that rarely garners the same praises that are doled out to both the offensive/defensive units, but are often the orchestrators of some of the most impactful plays during a long NFL season.

And as seen on Thanksgiving night, the role of “orchestrator” can go both ways when it comes to a special-teams grouping’s influence on critical plays.

Because just four days after the Patriots stormed into the end zone to share in the revelry of Jones’ game-winning scramble across the gridiron — many of those same players found themselves sucking wind and looking for answers as the Vikings celebrated their own special-teams score. 

What a difference a game can make. 

In a Turkey-Day contest where the Patriots’ eventual 33-26 defeat at the hands of the Vikings can be chalked up to numerous lapses in critical moments, it’s hard to not hone in on special teams as the prime culprit for New England’s disheartening loss in Minnesota.

Sure, the Patriots (who have a pretty established track record of taking away an opposing team’s top weapon) let Justin Jefferson carve up their defense all night long. And yes, despite Mac Jones’ aerial assault (382 yards), the Patriots were still 3-for-10 in third-down situations and 0-for-3 in the red zone. Not nearly good enough. 

But with a fatal combination of poor execution and undisciplined play, New England’s special-teams unit found their fortunes flipped on their head Thursday, with Minnesota ultimately scoring 14 points off of their misplays in the second half. 

“Really the difference in the game,” Bill Belichick declared postgame.

Beyond just the points relinquished, it was the timing of the Patriots’ pratfalls that allowed a competitive Vikings club to smell blood in the water. 

After a strong first half, Mac Jones and the Patriots built off of that momentum at the start of the third quarter, with a 37-yard score from Hunter Henry serving as an emphatic stamp on an eight-play, 75-yard drive that handed New England a 23-16 lead. 

Those good tidings lasted all but a few minutes — as Nick Folk’s subsequent kick-off was promptly taken right back by Kene Nwangwu for 97 yards to the house, knotting the game right back up at 23-23. 

“Our special teams units have had game-defining plays for us all season long,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I just thought in that moment for Kene, even when it looked like maybe they were closing in on him there, he's just so explosive, to get that thing going. Then to finish that in a moment where it was a huge play for our team. You'd like to think we would have gone on the field right there and drove for a touchdown. But to get that immediate response allowed the defense to get their cleats back in the ground and be ready to go on the next drive.”

Sure, you could harp on the lack of a flag after Kyle Dugger was clearly held as Nwangwu raced past him on the sideline. But as Greg noted already, you could easily fall down the rabbit hole when it comes to the official’s influence on these plays — considering that Mack Wilson also got away with a block in the back during Marcus Jones’ game-winning return on Sunday.

Yes, Dugger (and many Pats fans) likely had a legit gripe with how that sequence played out. But there was little to defend when it came to New England’s other major special-teams infractions.

With the game stuck in a 26-26 deadlock in the fourth quarter, things appeared to be trending well for the Patriots. Their defense just forced a Vikings punt — and even with Mac Jones and Co. starting within their own 10-yard line, Jones’ previous success through the air offered hope that another major march down the field was in order.

But Jones and the Patriots weren’t even able to touch the field following Minnesota’s punt, not after rookie Pierre Strong ran into Ryan Wright at the end of his kick, turning a 4th-and-3 situation for the Vikings into a fresh set of downs. 

Just three plays later, Kirk Cousins and the Vikings made the Patriots pay for giving them new life  — with the Minnesota QB hitting Adam Thielen for a 15-yard touchdown, giving the home club a lead that it would not relinquish. 

Add in a few lackluster punts from Matt Palardy, and a special-teams crew that salvaged New England’s season against the Jets played a big part in scuttling that momentum just a few days later.

Amid that turmoil, Marcus Jones continued to impress, with the rookie setting up a three-point swing on his own by way of a 46-yard return in the second quarter.

But the sterling play of one individual on a special-teams grouping often means little — not when the rest of the personnel isn’t pulling on that same rope.