MINNEAPOLIS — For two decades, a hallmark of the Patriots was that they didn’t beat themselves.
Under Bill Belichick, they’re seemingly always situationally sound, do the simple things well, and they let opponents self-destruct. (See: Wilson, Zach).
But on Thanksgiving in Minnesota, the Patriots made a litany of unforced errors and wound up with the fate they deserved: They left a game on the table that was theirs for the taking, and vacated a playoff spot accordingly.
The mental mistakes began in the second quarter.
In a two-minute drill with two timeouts, Hunter Henry rumbled down the right sideline for a chunk play.