8 things to watch during the Vikings preseason game vs. the Saints
By Chris Schad
Can the Vikings fix their kicking game?
Finally, we get to Vikings fans’ favorite part of football, the kicking game. After being burned in several situations over their existence, Minnesota botched a chance for a long-term option when they decided to release Daniel Carlson after just two games last season.
Even though they brought on Dan Bailey to fix the issue, even he had issues making just 75 percent (21-for-28) of his field goal attempts in 2019.
With the Vikings bringing back Bailey for a second season (and surprisingly not pursuing free agent Matt Bryant), new special teams coach Marwan Maloof has brought competition from all over the place to see what else can be tweaked in order to have more consistency with kicks.
At long snapper, that has meant bringing in rookie Austin Cutting, whose draft selection was met with question marks but he has provided competition for Kevin McDermott.
The Vikings have also toyed around with the holder for kicks, even using Adam Thielen and Chad Beebe in the role during training camp. But ultimately, Minnesota is sticking with punter Matt Wile as the holder for the time being.
Why Dalvin Cook is primed to explode in 2019. light. Must Read
There probably won’t be an immediate answer to the Vikings’ kicking woes in this game. But if Minnesota can find something that works early, it might give their fans and the coaching staff some peace of mind.