Patriots face tough two days in Minnesota

Patriots faced a tough two days in Minnesota, learning from a difficult challenge against the Vikings defense.

Patriots search for silver linings after Vikings joint practices

The New England Patriots spent two days in Minnesota sharing practice time with the Vikings, a session that tested their offense under a variety of looks from defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The results were uneven, with the Patriots showing a few bright moments on Day 1 but often getting pressured and outschemed by Flores’ schemes. Quarterback Drake Maye handled the pressure relatively well at times, though the offense as a unit struggled to sustain drives against the constant and varied pressure.

Despite the tough rep, the session yielded practical gains. Patriots rookies such as TreVeyon Henderson and Efton Chism contributed on both sides of the ball, and the defense managed to threaten Minnesota’s execution at several points. Vrabel and his staff stress that practice context matters and that tape from these two days will be used to tighten up communication, blocking schemes, and tempo before game week begins.

The two days in Minnesota illustrate a larger trend in modern football: teams grow more from pressure and misdirection than from straight-line drills. Flores’ approach forces New England to read and react quickly, a valuable test for Maye and his offensive line. The experience can pay off if it sharpens synchronization between lines, play calls, and tempo. Yet coaches must guard against reading too much into practice results, especially when young players are still learning how to process complex looks in real time.

Highlights

The week in Minnesota underscores that progress in the Patriots’ offense will come from disciplined corrections rather than dramatic overnight fixes.