Silver Linings from the Vikings’ Week 1 loss to the Bengals

Special Teams Were Solid

The Vikings’ offense was bad on Sunday, and there’s no doubt the defense didn’t live up to the hype of all the new faces being brought in and debuted. One aspect that was very strong for the Vikings however, was their special teams unit.

This is something that is hard to believe after seeing how bad this side of the ball has been in recent seasons. Last year it was a joke with plenty of blunders punting, kicking, and returning the football. That wasn’t the case against the Bengals.

The Vikings were strong in all facets of their special teams. Jordan Berry punted the hell out of the ball flipping field position on the Bengals plenty of times. He punted eight times and averaged over 50 yards per punt. Greg Joseph was also solid, nailing a clutch 53-yard kick to tie the game at the end of regulation. He actually hit this kick twice after the Bengals iced him the first time. He also did it after getting an earful from safety Jesse Bates who likely said some very unflattering things about Joseph’s mother in his ear. Joseph also hit all of his extra points being perfect on the day.

Even the return game was decent. Dede Westbrook cleanly fielded the ball and returned one punt for 12 yards. Ihmir Smith-Marsette also had a 21-yard return showing decent burst and vision.

The Vikings’ offense and defense can only get better as the season wears on. While improvement on those sides will be forthcoming, it was reassuring seeing the special teams be strong right out of the gate.