GAME BALLS
WR Justin Jefferson: He showed off on Thanksgiving with his 21st 100-yard game, already tied for fourth with Adam Thielen in franchise history. Third is Anthony Carter's 22. For good measure, Jefferson completed a pass and scored a TD on the Vikings' opening drive.
KR Kene Nwangwu: After the Patriots marched down the field with ease to open the second half and take a 23-16 lead, Nwangwu returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. It was his third career kickoff return TD in his second season, and he got kudos on Twitter from former Vikings Cordarrelle Patterson, who set the NFL record for kick return touchdowns on Sunday with nine.
P Ryan Wright: There was perhaps no more important player for the Vikings in the fourth quarter than their punter. He drew a running into the kicker penalty that gave new life to what turned out to be the game-winning drive. Then he pinned the Patriots deep in Vikings territory twice when his team couldn't extend its lead. A 59-yard punt to the 1 with just over a minute left helped ice the game. He averaged 52.7 yards on his three punts.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
7-2: Vikings' all-time record on Thanksgiving.
9/17/2000: The last time the Vikings beat the Patriots, spanning five games.
0-for-3: The Patriots' red-zone efficiency They came in ranked 31st in the NFL in red-zone efficiency and their inability to score touchdowns inside the 20 was their downfall Thursday.
30%: The Patriots' third-down conversion rate (3 of 10) four days after the Cowboys converted 71% of their third downs (12 of 17) third downs against the Vikings.
53.3%: The Vikings' third-down conversion rate (8 of 15) after going 1 for 11 against the Cowboys.
0: Sacks by NFL leader Matthew Judon after the Vikings gave up seven to the Cowboys.
11-18: Kirk Cousins' record in prime-time games
2: Passes thrown by Jefferson this season. He's completed both for 34 yards.
5: Missed extra points by Greg Joseph
52: Career touchdowns for Adam Thielen, tying Anthony Carter for the third in franchise history.
JEFFERSON WATCH
With 139 yards on nine catches, Jefferson passed Randy Moss (4,163) for the NFL record for most yards in a receiver's first three seasons (4,248). Jefferson did it in 44 games, four fewer than Moss. Jefferson needs to average 128 yards over the next six games to reach his goal of a 2,000-yard season.
UP NEXT
vs. N.Y. Jets, Dec. 4, Noon
The Jets (6-4) are in turmoil after a 10-3 loss last Sunday to the Patriots in which the offense gained only 103 yards. Starting quarterback Zach Wilson was benched for Sunday's home game against the Bears after his poor performance vs. New England and postgame comments rankled teammates, fans and the news media. The Jets, seeking their first playoff appearance since 2010, are led by a top-10 defense in points and yards allowed.
SEASON SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Sept 11: vs. Green Bay, W, 23-7
Sept. 19: at Philadelphia, L, 24-7
Sept. 25: vs. Detroit, W, 28-24
Oct. 2: at New Orleans in London, W, 28-25
Oct. 9: vs. Chicago, W, 29-22
Oct. 16: at Miami, W, 24-16
Oct. 23: BYE
Oct. 30: vs. Arizona, W, 34-26
Nov. 6: at Washington, W, 20-17
Nov. 13: at Buffalo, W, 33-30 OT
Nov. 20: vs. Dallas, L, 40-3
Nov. 24: vs. New England, W, 33-26
Dec. 4: vs. N.Y. Jets, noon
Dec. 11: at Detroit, noon
Dec. 17 or 18: vs. Indianapolis, TBD
Dec. 24: vs. N.Y. Giants, noon
Jan. 1: at Green Bay, 3:25 p.m.
Jan. 7 or 8: at Chicago, TBD
