Oct 2, 2011; Kansas City, MO, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker Ryan Longwell (8) kicks off in the first half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 22-17. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It was around this time last year that the Vikings released a key Special Teams player by the name of Ryan Longwell.  The Vikings replaced the veteran Kicker with a rookie in the draft by the name of Blair Walsh.  To many Vikings fans, this was an unpopular move and left them wondering if the rookie could live up to the high standard that was set by Longwell.  Longwell had been very consistent as the Vikings Kicker, but was starting to lack the ability to kick it deep.

Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh (3) kicks a field goal in the first quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Fast forward to the end of last season.  We discovered that Blair Walsh not only has the power and accuracy to kick field goals, but can be a master on kickoffs.  Walsh also made a couple game winning kicks which showed he has the ability to to be a clutch kicker as well as connect on kicks in the cold weather.  Some of them were from a long, long distance.  Soon, fans forgot about Ryan Longwell and started praising Blair Walsh for his impressive skills.

Sept 3, 2011; Houston, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins punter Jeff Locke (18) kicks an onside kick against the Houston Cougars during the fourth quarter at Robertson Stadium. Houston won 38-34. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

This year, we are in a similar situation.  The Vikings used a mid round draft pick on Punter Jeff Locke from UCLA.  Locke shows a lot of flexibility and promise as a player.  Locke can really do it all as a Punter.  Not only can he punt with excellent power and accuracy, but he is a fantastic holder on kicks and can even handle kickoff or field goal duties if needed.  He has all the skills to be an excellent Punter at the next level.

Oct 9, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe (4) against the Arizona Cardinals at the Metrodome. The Vikings defeated the Cardinals 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Fans are skeptical again though.  This time, the veteran that was released was Punter Chris Kluwe.  Although Kluwe is still a good punter, he had dropped to being rated as in the bottom half of the league and had a couple pretty awful looking punts last year.  Despite his struggles, Kluwe was still a fan favorite in Minnesota.  His activity on social media really helped fans embrace him.  He is well known for his political activism and outspoken nature.  Many fans are very upset to see him go.

The advice to give these fans is this:  trust the Vikings.  They made an excellent decision with Blair Walsh that paid off very well last year.  Before sending the new Punter angry tweets or over reacting about Kluwe’s release, remember that the Vikings have a direction they want to go with this team and fans should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings went into the home of the AFC’s number one seed Houston Texans today and were some very rude guests. The defense held the potent Texans offense to just six points, the lowest total points by a Vikings opponent since early in the 2007 season. Special teams once again showed up in a HUGE way with stud rookie kicker Blair Walsh breaking the NFL single season record for most 50+ yard field goals made, Chris Kluwe had the Texans pinned deep in their own territory for what seemed like the whole game, and Marcus Sherels had some impressive return yards as well.

Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

This victory, along with losses by both the Giants and Cowboys, now means the Vikings control their own destiny.  It’s simple, beat the hated Green Bay Packers and they are in the playoffs. The division champion Packers will be playing to earn a first round bye as the NFC’s number two seed, so don’t expect to see them sitting any of their starters.

The last time these two teams faced off Adrian Peterson rushed for 212 yards in a losing effort at Lambeau field and Christian Ponder threw that devastating interception in the end zone. But the defense did a good job keeping Aaron Rodgers in check and the game was very manageable. If not for Ponders horrific day the Vikings would most likely have won that meeting. Now it appears that Ponder is getting back the confidence he had in the beginning of the season, having played a very efficient game against the Texans. If a QB is going to come out of a slump and get hot, this would be a great time of the year to do it. This game will also be played in Minneapolis, where the Vikings have had much better luck this year.

If the Vikes can get an early lead, as they did today, and control the clock with Adrian Peterson and some key first down completions by Ponder, they have a very good shot at winning this game. I think the defense as a whole, and especially the secondary are playing much better now than they were a few weeks ago, and that is key because the last thing we want is for the Vikings to fall behind and need to rely on the passing game to catch up. If that happen it’s curtains for this squad.

Well Viking fans, this is it. If someone would have told you at the end of last year that the team would be 9-6 and in control of a wild card spot after week 15 would you have believed them? We all have a lot to be happy about, I believe this team really has turned the corner, and I DO expect them to win this game and make it into the playoffs this year.

That’s all for now, SKOL! Oh, and as always…the Packers SUCK!

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-Jordan Nadel

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

Antoine Winfield

If anyone were to tell you that they weren’t at least a little bit concerned about Winfield coming into this season, they were probably lying. At age 35, Antoine has most definitely surpassed the average shelf-life of an NFL cornerback. At a position where speed and agility are the determining factors of the player’s skillset, Winfield has defied the odds to this point – overcoming both age and a couple nagging injuries.

To this point, Winfield has already racked up 60 tackles (including one sack) and two interceptions. From a 5’9,” 35-year-old, that’s not too bad at all. In fact, he’s arguably the best overall corner in the league right now.

Now, I’m sure that last statement will draw criticism from many, but honestly, name one cornerback that has shown the covering skills of Winfield while still maintaining a tackling ability that is even close to the same level as his. I know that I can’t.

While I’ve been a huge fan of Antoine over the years simply because he’s often the smallest guy on the field while making some of the biggest plays on defense, I’ll admit that I’ve had my questions about his ability going forward. This season, Antoine has proven all of the doubters wrong and given his fans more reason to believe.

Blair Walsh

I remember getting a text from one of my good friends on draft day after the Vikings had selected kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round. After being told by my friend that it had been one of the worst picks in the draft, I became a little bit concerned about the future of our special teams unit as a whole. Fortunately for the Vikings, my friend has been dead wrong to this point. Having only missed one field goal to this point, I think it’s safe to say that the Vikings knew what they were doing when they drafted this kid out of Georgia.

Not only has Walsh proven that he can kick the deep field goal consistently, he’s also proven that he is more than capable when it comes to kickoffs. Though the NFL has moved the kickoff spot up five yards (thus making it incredibly easy for most NFL kickers to simply kick it out of the back of the end zone), Vikings fans know that even the best of field goal kickers can have issues with kickoffs (see: Ryan Longwell).

So far this season, Walsh has proven a spectacular addition to this Minnesota Vikings team, and he’s only going to get better as he adjusts to high-pressure situations and continues practicing with the special teams unit. He’s the definition of pleasant surprise.

Matt Kalil

Though it’s hard to ever call a 1^st-round left tackle a “surprise” when he does well, I only added him to this list because of the hit-or-miss nature of the position when it comes to the draft. While Bryant McKinnie was arguably the most talented player coming into the 2002 draft (where he was drafted 7^th-overall), he proved that talent will only equate to success when effort is apparent. I’ve never been able to get over the fact that such a talented player has had such a mediocre career, and I guess that’s why I am always more concerned about the left tackle position above all others.

Kalil has proven himself as the anchor to the rebuilt Vikings offensive line. Though one could argue that the Vikings should have drafted a wide receiver in this year’s draft and filled an even bigger need to this point, the only reason why we’re not complaining about the offensive line anymore is because of the move to pick Kalil.

Not only does Kalil give the Vikings line a better chance to protect the young quarterback, Christian Ponder, as he continues to develop, he also gives the line a better chance to grow as a whole. By picking up Kalil to take the left tackle position, Charlie Johnson – a guard by nature – is able to fit in nicely where guard Steve Hutchinson once anchored the line.

The offensive line is not a glamorous collection of positions and we only really seem to notice them if they’re consistently performing poorly. Thankfully, due to the addition and success of Kalil, that hasn’t happened yet.

Follow Greg Jensen – @JensenGregory