MINNEAPOLIS - All week long, New England Patriots' fans were on pins and needles about whether Richard Seymour's elbow injury would be severe enough to keep him out of action Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings.

That question was partially answered about 7:50 p.m. Central time, when Jarvis Green trotted out in Seymour's familiar spot on the right side of the defensive line. But that wasn't the last word.

Seymour, who entered the game with about five minutes left in the first quarter, had suffered a hyperextended left elbow last week at Buffalo. But the Patriots don't lose a lot even with their four-time Pro Bowl end out of action.

"It's kind of like an old ship," Green said last week. "If the defensive line doesn't paddle the right way, it messes everybody up."

Despite his reserve status, Green leads the Patriots with 4 ½ sacks, including three against the Bengals, for which he was named AFC defensive player of the week. Green was in on 53 tackles and had 2½ sacks last season, so it isn't as if he hasn't been a significant contributor to the Patriots' defense.

"I feel so much better doing what I'm doing, have much more of a comfort level with the defense," he said last week.

Green is capable of filling in at tackle and end, and compensates for comparatively smallish size by knowing the techniques, his role, and how to work in harmony with his fellow linemen, regardless of the combinations.

"We're good friends off the field, and we communicate on the field," Green said. "With just a look, we don't have to say anything to each other. It's like (Tom) Brady and (former Patriots' receiver Deion) Branch, that kind of chemistry."

Quick kicks

The Patriots' inactives were Eugene Wilson, Garrett Mills, Pierre Woods, Stephen Neal, Russ Hochstein, Daniel Graham, Le Kevin Smith and Marquise Hill … Billy Yates, who came off the practice squad last week, was starting in place of Neal, and rookie David Thomas earned the start at tight end … Hall of Famer Warren Moon served as the Vikings' honorary captain …

Tom Brady completed his first seven passes for 100 yards before throwing an incompletion … When the Patriots stopped the Vikings on their first series, it marked the first time this season that Minnesota had not scored points on an opening possession … Jabar Gaffney made his first catch as a Patriot in the second quarter … Brady's 257 yards at halftime was the highest such total of his career … Rodney Harrison's interception was the 32nd of his career. Six of his last seven picks have been inside the 20-yard line …

Chad Scott's interception was his first as a Patriot and the 20th of his career … Doug Gabriel's 45-yard reception was the longest of his career, and also the longest for a Patriot wide receiver thus far this year … Reche Caldwell's 6-yard touchdown catch was his first as a Patriot … Mewelde Moore's 71-yard punt return for a touchdown was the first against the Patriots since Jonathan Smith's for the Bills on Nov. 14, 2004. Laurence Maroney answered with the longest of his career, a 77-yard kickoff return to set up Troy Brown's 7-yard TD reception.