For a franchise plagued by kicking woes, the Minnesota Vikings had some questions to face over rookie kicker Will Reichard‘s two missed kicks that made a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers more nerve-racking than necessary.
Nevermind that Reichard was perfect, 14-for-14 on field-goal attempts, through Week 7 before suffering a quad injury that sidelined him for four weeks.
Reichard’s return left questions about whether he was still on the mend, missing his first try back in Week 13. A pair of missed field goals against Green Bay three games later has left the Vikings needing to answer for his recent slump.
Had the Vikings lost, there would be serious concern at kicker less than two weeks before the start of the postseason.
Crisis was adverted, and special teams coordinator Matt Daniels offered a calm vote of confidence in the rookie, who Daniels said is not dealing with any lingering injury despite his struggles.
“He’s perfectly fine,” Daniels said in a December 31 news conference. “He’s not injured at all.”
Every Point Matters: Reichard ‘Fully Understands That’
GettyVikings kicker Will Reichard
Reichard actually missed three kicks last Sunday, one of which was nullified due to a holding call as time expired at halftime. However, Daniels said that not all misses are made equal.
On a missed 57-yarder, Reichard got under the ball too much, sailing it too high as it caromed off the crossbar. On his 43-yard miss, Reichard shanked the ball left on his follow-through, sending it directly into the left crossbar.
It was the slightest miscue, but another example of how a matter of inches can be the difference between having a cold-blooded kicker or a cause of concern.
“He’s very hard on himself,” Daniels said, per the Pioneer Press. “He’s always putting the team first. It’s always like, ‘Ah I let my team down.’ He never wants to do that.”
As the Vikings enter a pivotal season finale against the Detroit Lions that will determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, Reichard’s role will be vital to the Vikings’ success moving forward.
“Every point is going to truly start to matter here,” Daniels said. “He fully understands that.”
Vikings Prepared for a Shootout With Lions
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings.
Reichard will need to get right with the Vikings’ Week 18 matchup in Detroit looking like a shootout.
Last meeting in Week 7, the Lions escaped with a 31-29 win on the road. This week’s “Sunday Night Football” matchup has a projected 57-point over-under — and the total score could easily exceed that mark.
Detroit’s defense is decimated by injury. The Lions have allowed 32.5 points per game in their past four games, including a 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Detroit’s 130 points allowed in that span is tied for the most in the league.
Meanwhile, the Vikings offense is firing on all cylinders. Sam Darnold is coming off a career-high 377 passing yards in a win over the Packers and has thrown 12 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions in his past four games.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has leaned on Darnold and made aggressive play calls with a brimming confidence in his quarterback.
With the top seed in the NFC on the line, expect O’Connell to keep his foot on the gas.
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