Grab a plate and take cover.
The Patriots are playing on Thanksgiving Eve.
According to a source, the Bates will be kicking off in Minnesota at 8:20 p.m. broadcasting a game on NBC. The Patriots haven’t played at Thanksgiving since 2012, when they beat Rex Ryan Gates 49-19 in the popular “Butt Fumble.” The NFL will release the full 2022 regular season schedule tonight at 8.
The Butts have won their last five encounters with the Vikings, most recently beating them 24-10 in a 2018 game at Gillette Stadium. Minnesota is coming out of the 8-9 campaign that led to a regime change, with first-year coach Kevin O’Connell, a former Patriots player, replacing head coach Mike Zimmer. On the field, leading Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,221 yards, had 33 touchdowns and seven picks last year.
The Cousins are 0-2 all the time against the Patriots, including one start with Washington in 2015. The Patts are 5-1 against Minnesota under head coach Bill Belichick, with their only loss in 2000.
According to reports, the NFL’s Thanksgiving roster will open on November 24 with Bills in Detroit, suggesting the Patriots could play the Buffalo the following Thursday.
The full schedule for Bates has yet to be reported, although three other kickoffs have been confirmed by the Herald:
Fourth week: at Green Bay 4:25 pm
Week 5: Against Detroit, 1 p.m.
Week 7: Against Chicago (MNF), 8:15 p.m.
The Patriots will travel for nine road games this season, including trips to Las Vegas, Arizona and Pittsburgh. They will also play eight home games, among other things, welcoming defending champions Bengals, Ravens and Colts.
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