Minnesota Vikings: Blair Walsh sneaks in 51 yard field goal

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Blair Walsh made a 51 yard field goal before halftime of the Minnesota Vikings week 1 preseason game against Cincinnati, but needed help from the crossbar.

Field goal kicking has been a sore spot for fans of the Minnesota Vikings lately. Following the big miss during the final moments of the Wild Card playoff game, questions came up about the confidence and ability of Blair Walsh.

At one time, Walsh was considered automatic. He broke multiple team records during his rookie year for both distance and consistency. But all eyes were on Walsh before the end of the half during the week 1 preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Here is the video of that kick as shared by the Minnesota Vikings Twitter account:

Field goals don’t get much closer than that. Having the kick hit the crossbar an bounce through is a positive thing for the team, though. This kick helped put the Vikings ahead 10-7 going into the half.

But this is exactly the kind of thing fans should want to see from Walsh. Kicks like this will continue to build up the confidence of the Minnesota Vikings kicker and allow him to approach the regular season with some swagger.

Next: Vikings game-by-game 2016 season preview

Yes, it is preseason. Preseason doesn’t mean jack when the regular season starts. But there are some things that can carry over, such as momentum, confidence, and a winning tradition. Hopefully, those things and more will continue with Blair Walsh and the Vikings as the 2016 NFL season continues.