The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0, and a big part of that has been the performance of Brian Flores’s defense. But the one aspect of this year’s team that’s flying under the radar has been Matt Daniels’s special teams unit.
The Vikings’ special teams had their fingerprints all over Sunday’s 23-13 win over the New Orleans Saints. Will Reichard was his usual self, knocking down all three field goals and a pair of extra points while Myles Price made an impact with a 43-yard punt return. Jake Golday also chipped in by forcing a fumble on the kickoff to start the second half, and the defense and an improved offense led by Kyler Murray took care of the rest.
The way the special teams have played this year was another day at the office. But it’s another reason why the Vikings made the right decision to keep Daniels around after last season.
Matt Daniels’s redemption story is leading the Minnesota Vikings’ special teams unit
Any Vikings fan will tell you they have a brutal history with special teams, and that was on full display one year ago. One of their biggest issues was committing penalties, as they ranked ninth in the NFL with 23 flags. Those penalties cost the Vikings 198 yards; they likely cost them even more, as they negated big kickoff and punt returns that could have helped improve their average starting position of their own 30.8-yard line.
While Reichard and former Vikings punter Ryan Wright had solid years, the coverage units were a big problem and reached a boiling point during a Week 11 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The incident happened after J.J. McCarthy threw a go-ahead, 15-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison with 50 seconds to play. Nursing a 17-16 lead, Reichard gave Devin Duvernay a chance to return the kickoff instead of booting it out of the end zone, and Ivan Pace Jr. ran out of his lane to spring Duvernay for a 56-yard return that set up Cairo Santos to win the game on a 48-yard field goal as time expired.
Daniels later admitted he got “greedy” in the situation, “looking to make the play” instead of trusting the Vikings' defense. TV cameras also caught Kevin O’Connell having a terse moment with Daniels after the play, putting him on the hot seat among fans. After Minnesota missed the playoffs, nobody would have blamed the Vikings for firing Daniels, but he has responded by creating an elite unit that is firing on all cylinders.
The Vikings’ special teams are making every yard (and point) count
Reichard has been the headliner of the special teams unit, improving to a perfect 15-for-15 on field goals after converting all three attempts against the Saints. While Dallas Turner described Reichard as “a cold-blooded sniper,” Daniels has also done a good job maintaining his confidence, and Reichard has converted his last 34 field-goal attempts dating back to a Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last season.
While Wright departed in free agency, the Vikings have done a good job breaking in new punter Brett Thorson. The Georgia product missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but came into Sunday putting five of his first 10 punts inside the 20-yard line. While he had a touchback and a 39-yard punt on Sunday, he also had another punt land inside the 20, giving him six on 13 attempts this season.
The coverage units haven’t been perfect, ranking 21st with 9.7 yards allowed per punt return and 25.1 yards per kickoff return. But it feels like they’re making more impact plays, like Golday's on Sunday, and can help Minnesota win the field -position battle.
For a team with a lights-out defense, every yard matters, and while the Vikings offense is gaining traction, lightening their load and getting guaranteed points when Reichard lines up to kick is a massive benefit. That all traces back to Daniels, who could have easily been let go after last season, but has gotten back on track and given Vikings fans another reason to be excited.
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