Seymour has a hand in it

MINNEAPOLIS -- It wasn't until a few hours before kickoff that defensive lineman Richard Seymour knew he'd be suiting up for last night's game against the Vikings.

"It was a game-time decision; I felt like I could be productive on the football field," said Seymour, who injured his left elbow last week against the Bills. "I wasn't where I wanted to be, but at the same time I was able to come out and do some things. I think I'm only going to get better from this point."

Seymour, who was listed as questionable, didn't start, as Jarvis Green took his place in the team's 3-4 alignment. He entered the game with 5:28 remaining in the first quarter, and finished with one sack, one quarterback hurry, and one pass defended.

Seymour wore a black wrap over his left arm and a brace to protect his elbow.

"[The brace] got tight from time to time," Seymour said. "There were a couple times in the game where I wanted to take it off, because it had my arm tight and I felt like I couldn't really extend. I felt myself at times being a little tentative.

"Like I said, I was still able to be out on the football field. I wasn't 100 percent but I was able to come out and be productive. If I can come out on the football field, and have my presence out there, and I don't feel like I'm going to hurt myself, I'm going to do that."

The Patriots were without starting right guard Stephen Neal and top backup Russ Hochstein, which thrust third-year veteran Billy Yates into a starting role. Yates was activated off the practice squad prior to the game against the Bills and last night was his first career start.

Also on the personnel front, nine-year veteran Artrell Hawkins started in place of injured safety Eugene Wilson (hamstring).

The Patriots also deactivated tight end Daniel Graham (ankle) for the third straight game. Fellow tight end Garrett Mills, outside linebacker Pierre Woods, and defensive linemen Le Kevin Smith and Marquise Hill also were inactive.

The game marked a homecoming for Patriots rookie running back Laurence Maroney, who played at the University of Minnesota from 2003-05 and ranks second all-time at the school with 3,933 rushing yards. Maroney dazzled with a 77-yard kickoff return in the third quarter. The return came after the Vikings scored on a 71-yard punt return. "I thought Maroney's kickoff return was a big play in the game, to answer their score," said coach Bill Belichick . . . Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain finished with two tackles (both sacks) and one special teams tackle, but he wasn't around to talk about it afterward. He hopped on owner Robert Kraft's plane to hurry back to New England, where his girlfriend delivered a baby boy earlier in the day . . . Rodney Harrison's first-quarter interception was the 32d regular-season pick of his career. Since joining the Patriots prior to the 2003 season, Harrison has six interceptions in the regular season and six in the playoffs. Each of Harrison's last six have come inside the 20-yard line, with five coming inside the 4-yard line (including two in the end zone and one on the goal line). "The red zone is an area of emphasis, and the importance of getting turnovers and stopping them, or just keeping them to 3 points, is huge," Harrison said.

The Patriots opened the game on offense in a four-receiver set, with Doug Gabriel, Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell, and Jabar Gaffney. The start was Gaffney's first with the Patriots after signing with the team Oct. 9 . . . Veteran Chad Scott started at cornerback, with second-year player Ellis Hobbs (wrist injury) entering as a third corner and playing in the slot. Each player had an interception, his first as a Patriot . . . The Patriots opened the game with a seven-play, 86-yard touchdown drive, marking the second straight game in which they reached the end zone on the opening drive. Prior to last week's game against Buffalo, the Patriots had gone six straight regular-season games without scoring on their first drive . . . Caldwell's first-quarter touchdown catch was his first score as a member of the Patriots . . . With a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter, rookie Stephen Gostkowski improved to 6 of 9 on the season.

Brady has improved his passer rating in each of the last five games, going from 79.4, to 89.9, to 91.2, to 112.4, to 115.6. His 257 passing yards in the first half marked his highest total for any half in his seven-year career . . . Former Minnesota quarterback Warren Moon, a 2006 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, was honored by the Vikings before the game . . . Tight end Benjamin Watson entered the game with a team-high 21 receptions, and finished with a team-high seven catches (tied with Caldwell) . . . Gabriel's 45-yard reception in the first quarter was tied for the second-longest reception of his career.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com.