Take a Moment to Applaud Jordan Berry’s Booming Right Leg
There probably aren’t many people who get excited by a punter but after two years of inadequate punting from the boot of Britton Colquitt, the execution of the right foot of Jordan Berry has been a breath of fresh air. A change in punter might not be first on the agenda when you are thinking of ways to improve a team. It was something I wanted to see, so I was pleased with the addition of the Australian punter who added more international flavor to the Vikings kicking unit,with South African placekicker Greg Joseph already on the roster.
Berry is one of four Australian punters currently playing in the NFL with Seattle’s Michael Dickson (now of double punt fame), the Texans Cameron Johnston, and the 49ers Mitch Wishnowsky. Jordan’s younger brother Wilson will hope to add to the Australian ranks in a few years, as he started his college football career with the Kentucky Wildcats this season.
Colquitt’s Struggles
The Minnesota Vikings special teams was a horror show last season. Thankfully, it has been much improved so far this season under new special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken. Drastically improved punting has been part of that. Colquitt had a perfectly respectable career heading into Minnesota, but his two years in purple were not impressive. He failed to hit a punt over 60 yards during his time with the Vikings, averaging 45.1 yards per punt placed him 24th amongst punters last season.
Punting isn’t just about distance, After all, the distance you want to kick depends on where you are on the field. Colquitt kicked a succession of poor punts for the Vikings. For example, there was a shanked punt at Arrowhead Stadium in 2019 which gave the Chiefs prime field position — for what turned out to be a game-winning drive is just one that sticks in the memory.
Improving the Team
After agreeing to a restructured, more team-friendly deal, it appeared the Vikings were ready to stick with Colquitt. That turned out not to be the case. When the Pittsburgh Steelers cut Jordan Berry and decided to run with rookie punter Pressley Harvin III, the Vikings front office moved quickly to sign the punter who ranked in the middle of the pack among punters last season.
In the four games so far the Australian punter has been impressive — with the longest punt of 63 yards and an average of 48.5, which is ninth-best in the league. Berry has made a very good start to his career in Minnesota. It’s not all about yards. It’s about good punts at the right time. So far, Berry has delivered.
One criticism I’ve seen coming out of Pittsburgh is that his performance dropped off late in the season when it got cold – Aussies aren’t known for liking the cold. If that is a problem, we’ve yet to see it and playing home games indoors will Be an advatage. To date, wearing the purple jersey it has been nothing but good things from Jordan Berry. Long may it continue.