3 silver linings from the Vikings loss to the Cowboys in Week 8

Joseph made all of his kicks

Maybe it shouldn’t be a silver lining to a loss when a player does his job, but in Greg Joseph‘s case, it is a pretty big deal and a positive he can build off of.

Joseph has struggled the last couple of games missing kicks that allowed both the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers to stay alive in matchups where they should’ve been buried. His failure almost led to two more Minnesota losses.

This time the game wasn’t lost on Joseph’s leg. It was lost due to horrible play by Kirk Cousins, inept game management, and bad play-calling. Joseph actually had a very solid game in his return to U.S. Bank Stadium. He was perfect on the day nailing all his kicks.

He was 3-for-3 on his field goals with his longest one coming from 45 yards out. Those kicks weren’t always down the middle, but they made it between the posts nonetheless. He also hit his lone extra-point attempt, accounting for 10 of the Vikings’ 16 points.

If Minnesota is going to mount some sort of playoff push this season, they’ll need Joseph to be full of confidence. He needs to believe he can make any kick and that he will make every kick. The Vikings are a team that can’t afford to leave any points on the board, and if Joseph can’t build off of this performance and starts missing clutch kicks again, the losses will pile up very quickly.