By halftime, Vikings fans were booing. By early in the third quarter, they were chanting for the backup quarterback. This wasn't how Mike Zimmer imagined his first home game as the Vikings' head coach proceeding.

The Vikings scored on their first drive, with an impressive show of play-calling and game-planning, driving 80 yards in seven plays without Adrian Peterson (obviously) or Cordarrelle Patterson touching the ball. By early in the third period, they hadn't scored again, and Matt Cassel had thrown three interceptions, and the chants of ``Teddy!" were raining down from the stands, as fans begged for rookie backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

The final: Patriots 30, Vikings 7, with the Patriots scoring 30 straight points. Cassel finished with four interceptions, one more than Christian Ponder ever threw in a game. The last wasn't his fault, as it bounced off the hands of Matt Asiata, but the previous three were terrible decisions and throws.

Instead of spreading the Vikings out and picking on their lesser defensive backs, the Patriots played as if they knew that only a big mistake could lose this game. They remained patient, running the ball and throwing underneath, and the Vikings made enough mistakes - with four interceptions and a blocked field goal for a touchdown - to reward that approach.

So, after two weeks, the Vikings have one impressive road victory and one unsightly home loss, as they head to New Orleans for what, on paper, looks like the toughest of the first quarter of the season

Cassel had a chance to move the Vikings well ahead of expecations. Instead, he attempted throws that would have gotten a rookie benched. The Vikings' defense played better than the score indicates. One Patriots touchdown was the result of that blocked field goal attempt, and another came on a one-yard drive after one of Cassel's interceptions.

The Vikings coaching staff never seemed interested in playing Bridgewater, and certainly wouldn't bench Cassel after one bad game. Another bad performance may open up the possibility of Bridgewater making his debut sooner than expected.