5 things to watch during the Vikings preseason game vs. the Bills

What will happen with the kicking situation?

Of course, what would a Minnesota Vikings preseason article be without discussing kickers? With one game remaining to decide who Minnesota wants as their kicker, there is literally no indication which way this competition is going to go and if Zimmer had his way, he’d probably opt to not carry a kicker or punter at all.

That obviously isn’t going to happen, so someone needs to step up and show that this special teams situation isn’t going to be a complete trainwreck for the umpteenth straight year.

At the center of the controversy is Kaare Vedvik, who was acquired for a fifth-round pick and started shanking everything once throwing on a Vikings jersey. After Zimmer expressed concern and special teams coach Marwan Maaloof expressed unhappiness with the newest special teamer, there’s a chance that the Vikings will light the fifth-round pick they gave up on fire if Vedvik has another rough outing.

Then there’s Dan Bailey, who has yet to miss a kick in a game setting, but turns into the second coming of Blair Walsh on the practice field. With Bailey making just 75 percent of his kicks over the past two years, it’s hard to trust him for another season, but he might wind up being slightly better than Vedvik.

Oh and there’s the chance that Vedvik would wind up being the punter because Matt Wile has struggled trying to punt while looking over his shoulder. He’s also struggled as the holder, which means that he could be the odd man out.

If this is making your head hurt, imagine how Zimmer feels knowing he let his previous kicker project go way too early and is now facing another decision that requires a steady dose of bourbon. Either way, someone needs to step up and make a kick for the Vikings on Thursday.