We’re at halftime at U.S. Bank Stadium, and our Minnesota Vikings trail the New England Patriots by a score of 14-3 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Patriots won the coin toss and chose to take the football first. New England chose to play a lot of their starters on offense, as Drake May led the Patriots’ offense onto the field for their opening possession, but the Vikings’ defensive backups stopped them short of midfield and forced a punt.
Sam Howell then led the Minnesota offense onto the field for their first possession. Ty Chandler had a couple of nice runs and the Vikings managed to pick up one first down but the offense then stalled. Ryan Wright punted it away and the Vikings’ special teams allowed the Patriots’ returner to bring the ball back to near midfield.
Maye and the majority of the Patriots’ offensive starters came back out onto the field again and pushed deep into Vikings’ territory against a lot of Minnesota defensive backups. New England eventually found themselves facing a 3rd-and-4 from the Minnesota 8, and rookie TreVeyon Henderson finished things from there, going over the left side for an 8-yard touchdown run to give the visiting team a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter.
The Vikings then had a pretty disastrous sequence. Tai Felton fumbled the return on the ensuing kickoff, but the Vikings managed to recover it. Then Ty Chandler dropped a pass from Howell that hit him right in the hands, and then Howell scrambled away from pressure and looked like he was trying to throw the ball out of bounds but it wound up being intercepted by the Patriots for the game’s first turnover.
Former Vikings’ quarterback Josh Dobbs then took over at quarterback for the Patriots, who started at the Minnesota 35 after the turnover. New England had a 4th-and-goal from the 5-yard line, but Dobbs’ pass into the end zone fell incomplete and the Vikings’ defense got the stop.
Howell came out for another possession as the teams changed sides for the second quarter, and after picking up one first down the offense stalled and Oscar Chapman’s punt put the Patriots at their own 42 after a penalty.
New England then got into position to attempt a 57-yard field goal, but it was a positively horrible kick and the Vikings took over at their own 39-yard line after the miss, with Brett Rypien taking over at quarterback for Howell. The Vikings’ offense got things going on a screen pass to Zavier Scott that took the ball into New England territory and the Vikings eventually found themselves with 4th-and-1 from the New England 12. Rypien tried to find Thayer Thomas in the end zone but his pass fell incomplete for a turnover on downs.
Dobbs then put together a long drive for the Patriots, converting a couple of third downs and connecting on a long pass to put the Patriots at the Minnesota 25. After the two-minute warning, the Patriots found the end zone again as Dobbs connected on a pass to rookie Efton Chism, and he broke what seemed like about a dozen tackles to make his way into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown to make it 14-0.
Rypien led the Vikings back into New England territory with time winding down in the half, and got the offense into position for a 34-yard field goal from Will Reichard to get the Vikings on the board going into halftime at 14-3.
The Vikings will get the football to start the second half, and according to the broadcast Max Brosmer will be getting the entire second half on offense. Come hang out with us as we keep an eye on the second half of the second preseason game, won’t you?
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