In recent years, the NFL has attempted to change rules to promote more kickoff returns, and not make kickoffs the moment where fans at home take a bathroom break with no fear of missing anything.
Through Week 1 this season, the offseason change to move touchbacks to the 35-yard line worked wonderfully to foster more returns.
The Minnesota Vikings have notably lacked production in the return game (kickoff returns and punt returns) for a long time. Against the Chicago Bears in Week 1, they had 201 combined kickoff and punt return yards.
Excelling as a return man was undrafted rookie Myles Price's path to earning a spot on the 53-man roster during the preseason. He's not going to get many, if any, snaps at wide receiver, so he'll be impactful in the return game, or he won't be impactful at all.
Against the Bears, Price had two kickoff returns for 49 yards along with four punt returns for another 68 yards. With running back Ty Chandler on IR, Price is in line to be the primary kickoff and punt returner for the Vikings for at least the next four games.
Bold Week 2 prediction for the Minnesota Vikings would be a field tilter vs. Falcons
In ESPN's closer look at the Vikings game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, Seth Walder offered a bold prediction.
"Minnesota's Myles Price will return a kick or punt for a touchdown. Price had juice in his NFL debut Monday night, particularly as a punt returner, where he recorded 22 yards over expectation -- second most in Week 1."
Walder's prediction begs a question:
When is the last time the Vikings had a kickoff or punt return for a touchdown?
The last Vikings' kickoff return touchdown was not that long ago. In Week 12 of the 2022 season, against the New England Patriots, Kene Nwangwu had a 97-yard kickoff return touchdown.
Minnesota's last punt return touchdown, however, was a bit longer ago, and a lot of Vikings fans can probably guess who did it.
In Week 5 of the 2016 season, Marcus Sherels took a punt 79 yards to the house against the Houston Texans. That was the fifth and final punt return touchdown of his career. The Vikings have not had someone who was a genuine threat as a punt returner since.
With Sunday night's game expected to be close and fairly high-scoring, special teams play stands to be huge. A return touchdown by Price would tilt momentum toward the Vikings in a big way, if not prove to be decisive in winning the game.