3 favorable matchups for the Vikings in Week 2 vs. the Cardinals
By Luke Parrish
Vikings special teams vs. Cardinals special teams
It sounds too good to believe, but the Vikings may actually be on the right track on special teams. In his Vikings debut, new punter Jordan Berry tallied eight punts and averaged 50.3 yards, including a 63-yard bomb. Greg Joseph made a name for himself in his first game with the team as well, booting a game-tying 53-yard field goal as time expired.
We don’t usually get to boast about special teams being a positive for the Vikings, but Week 1 was a good change of pace. The Cardinals only punted three times in their victory, but Matt Prater did miss one of his field-goal attempts.
Punting the ball away eight times is not going to make it very easy to win, but having a punter that can flip the field is going to pay off for the Vikings. The key for Arizona’s matchup will be staying away from rookie return man Rondale Moore who averaged 12 yards per punt return last week.
All in all, special teams will always be an important aspect of football. For years, they have haunted the Vikings at the most inopportune times, but if they can turn that around, they will win some extra games.