Complementary football has Patriots coach in complimentary mood

The Patriots get contributions from all three phases of the game in breaking a 10-10 tie to defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 24-10.

FOXBORO – Bill Belichick was in a complimentary mood after the game.

A coach tends to be that way when a textbook stretch of complementary football is the difference in the game.

Wide receiver Josh Gordon and fullback James Develin got in the end zone, but it was the manner in which they got there that was the difference in the Patriots’ 24-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Postgame, Belichick was effusive in his praise of “complementary football of getting good field position from the kicking game, holding it on defense, getting the ball back for the offense.”

Here’s how it all unfolded after place-kicker Dan Bailey’s 39-yard field goal with 2:20 left in the third quarter pulled the Vikings even in a game they’d trailed by 10:

• A 75-yard drive in four plays that took just 1:45 and concluded with Gordon’s 24-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady that regained the Patriots the lead at 17-10.

• A three-and-out that concluded with defensive end Trey Flowers sacking Vikings quarterback for a 10-yard loss.

• A 23-yard return by Julian Edelman of a 53-yard punt by the Vikings’ Matt Wile that gave the Patriots the ball at midfield.

• A 50-yard drive in six plays that concluded with Develin scoring his second touchdown of the game when he powered his way in from the 2 with 10:54 to go in the game.

Game, set and match, Patriots.

“That's all the units doing their job, playing well together, playing good complementary football,” said Belichick. “It was a great stretch for us and it kind of carried us the rest of the way.”

And so they are now 9-3, still within a game of the AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs (with the Patriots holding the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage) with three quarters of their seasons now in the books.

An offense that had gone stagnant after scoring on two of its first three possessions (a 1-yard touchdown run by Develin to cap off an eight-play, 81-yard drive for a 7-0 lead 5:27 into the game; a 20-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski that concluded a 15-play, 68-yard drive and made it 10-0 with 5:45 left in the second quarter) flipped the switch once it got Gordon involved.

Untargeted in the game to that point in time, Gordon opened and closed the go-ahead drive with 24-yard receptions, then he triggered the drive that made it 24-10 by drawing a 20-yard pass interference penalty on Vikings cornerback Holton Hill and later added a 10-yard catch to spot the ball at the 2 for Develin’s second score of the game.

“I just had to be patient,” said Gordon. “I think that’s just how the flow of the game was going. We all let it play itself out. It was great to just get an opportunity, make a play and the rest of it was just fun.”

Although thoroughly dominated for most of the first half, the Vikings pulled to within 10-7 at the break after forcing the Patriots to punt when they failed to pick up a third-and-one from their 26 (James White took a direct snap and got stuffed at the line of scrimmage by defensive end Danielle Hunter).

Outgained, 179-94, to that point in time the Vikings covered 74 yards in seven plays, scoring with 15 seconds left in the half when wide receiver Adam Thielen hauled in a 5-yard pass from Kirk Cousins on the right side of the end zone with two McCourtys – cornerback Jason and safety Devin – in the vicinity.

In the third quarter, a drive on which the Patriots seemed determined to keep it a one-possession game (a false start on running back Sony Michel, holding penalties on tight end Rob Gronkowski and left guard Joe Thuney) came to an ugly end when Gostkowski was wide (make that, very wide) right on a field-goal attempt from 48 yards away.

Bailey didn’t miss on the ensuing possession, converting from 39 yards to cap off a 12-play, 41-yard drive that tied it at 10.

But not for long.

Less than 6-1/2 minutes later, it was 24-10.

“It was just a great win,” said Brady, who was 24-for-32 passing for 311 yards and a touchdown with one interception in the game. “They’re a good team, good defensnively, obviously got a lot of skill guys on offense, so it was just a hard-fought game. Good complementary football, defense played great, and just a good win.”