Returning Players a Sign Consistency Key for Vikings Special Teams
Adam New
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The 2020 Minnesota Vikings special teams unit was a complete disaster. Thankfully there was a significant turnaround during the 2021 season.
Consistency is the key to special teams. For that reason, I had hoped Ryan Ficken, the special teams coordinator who oversaw the improvement, would be sticking around. That didn’t happen, and Ryan Ficken took the special teams coordinator job with the Los Angeles Chargers. New Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell brought in Matt Daniels as his special teams coordinator.
Without consistency at the coaching level, I was hoping for consistency with the player personnel. That came this week as the Vikings brought back the kicker and punter they signed to one-year deals last year. Greg Joseph receives a right of first refusal tender.
The 27-year-old was a restricted free agent entering the offseason. The tender is for one season, meaning Minnesota now has the right to match any other contract offer Joseph receives from other teams. In all likelihood, he plays this season for the Vikings on the $2.43 million base salary agreed to now.
Although some fans can’t shake that miss against Arizona in Week 2 from their minds, Joseph had a good debut season in Minnesota, making 86.8 of his field goals. In addition, showing he has the leg to make 50+ yard attempts and bounce back from crushing disappointment — like the aforementioned Arizona game, by hitting game-winning field goals as time expired against both Detroit and Green Bay. Consequently, Joseph now has the chance to prove he can be the long-term solution at Kicker for the Vikings.
The Vikings ensured consistency with both players employed to kick the football by re-signing punter Jordan Berry to a one-year contract.
Minnesota brought the Aussie punter in just before Week 1 of last season — not much preparation time when the strength of the kicking and punting game comes from the consistency of routine. Berry slotted in seamlessly as both punter and holder for Greg Jospeph’s kicks. Along with long snapper Andrew DePaola, the trio of special teamers will have an entire preseason to hone their craft and fine-tune the little details.
The importance of that on their part of the game shouldn’t be underestimated. The margins between success and failure on special teams are small but become glaringly obvious when it starts to go wrong. All it takes is one person to be out of sync.
Consistency is the key to special teams. Jordan Berry enjoyed a good first year in purple, with a 46.5 yards average, a long of 64, and only three touchbacks. With a year behind him and a full preseason ahead, it is reasonable to expect an even better second season.
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