5 most disappointing Vikings in the blowout loss to the Packers in Week 17

Greg Joseph – K

What a difference a week makes. Greg Joseph was the hero a week ago, nailing a 61-yard field goal as time expired to beat the New York Giants, and now he’s on the disappointing list again.

Joseph deserves to be. He missed two kicks against the Packers, and while those six points are a drop in the bucket compared to the 41 that Green Bay ultimately put up, they were momentum killers.

The Packers went up 14-3 after a kickoff return touchdown and a pick-six. The Vikings were able to put a drive together, and instead of closing it to a one-score game, Joseph pulled his kick, killing Minnesota’s positivity and keeping the momentum with the hated green and gold.

The Vikings had another chance to narrow the deficit late in the first and trotted Joseph back out there for a 50-yard field-goal attempt. He missed that one as well, only to see the Packers quickly march down the field and watch his counterpart bounce one in from 56 yards away.

Joseph has been up and down this season. There’s no doubt he’ll remain the Vikings’ kicker the rest of the way, but it’s fair to be very uneasy every time he lines up to kick.