MINNEAPOLIS — After being embarrassed in the second half in a loss to Miami last week, the New England Patriots’ defense reappeared in a big way Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Patriots intercepted quarterback Matt Cassel four times — setting up 17 New England points — and limited a Vikings ground game without star running back Adrian Peterson to only 54 yards on 19 carries in a 30-7 rout of Minnesota at TCF Bank Stadium.
After watching the Vikings march 80 yards in seven plays to take a 7-0 lead, the Patriots’ defense got the score back in short order when cornerback Devin McCourty picked off Cassel near midfield and returned it all the way down to the Vikings’ 1-yard line.
Running back Stevan Ridley punched it in two plays later to tie the game at 7-7.
Trailing by three early in the second quarter, Cassel forced another bad pass into coverage for his second interception of the day. Four minutes later, following a 44-yard pass from Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to wide receiver Julian Edelman, the two hooked up again on an 11-yard score to give the Patriots a 17-7 lead.
Late in the half, the Vikings were driving when a third-down conversion to wide receiver Greg Jennings was negated by an offensive pass interference call. Minnesota was forced to settle for a long field goal, but Blair Walsh’s kick was blocked by New England defensive end Chandler Jones, who scooped up the loose ball and sprinted 58 yards for the score with only nine seconds left before halftime.
Following Cassel’s third interception early in the second half, the chants for Vikings rookie backup Teddy Bridgewater began.
Stephen Gostkowski connected on field goals of 47 and 27 yards in the second half to push the Patriot lead to 30-7.
After going 4-for-4 for 75 yards on the first drive of the game, including a 25-yard dump off to running back Matt Asiata for the first score of the game, Cassel went 15-for-31 with 127 yards and four picks the rest of the way.
Brady finished with only 149 yards through the air, but was efficient, completing 15 of 22 attempts and the single score. Edelman led all receivers with six catches and 81 yards.
Ridley, who carried only eight times for 21 yards in the loss to the Dolphins last week, rushed 25 times for 101 yards and a score Sunday.
Peterson was indicted by a grand jury on reckless or negligent injury to a child charges and booked into Montgomery County (Texas) jail early Saturday morning. He was released after posting $15,000 bond. The Vikings deactivated Peterson for Sunday’s game.
NOTES: The win was the 200th in the head coaching career of Bill Belichick. He becomes the sixth man in NFL history to reach the 200-win plateau. … The 101-yard day for RB Stevan Ridley Ridley was his first time over the century-mark on the ground since Week 9 of last season against Pittsburgh. … Vikings WR Greg Jennings caught only one pass for four yards Sunday, but the catch was the 500th of his career.
