Greg Joseph’s Significance to Vikings Is High
Nate Powalie
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With the struggles of notable NFL kickers in 2022, Greg Joseph’s significance to the Minnesota Vikings is high.
Looking back at Sunday, Joseph is a main reason why the Vikings now sit at 7-1. Joseph hit both field goal attempts, including the game-winner with 0:16 left in regulation to help Minnesota win their sixth straight.
Joseph also hit his extra points, resulting in a perfect day. This isn’t his first perfect day of the season, and it doesn’t look like his last, either.
And, as Dane Mizutani from the Pioneer Press noted in September, Joseph continues to develop a mental toughness at a position that often features players getting put through the wringer.
Greg Joseph’s Overall Significance
While he may be the second-worst kicker in the NFL for accuracy, you can’t doubt Joseph’s confidence.
His game log shows he has only hit one out of six attempts from at least 50 yards. He did knock one through from 56 yards in the opening week against Green Bay, but he has not hit since.
But with success will come struggles. And with the way the kicker position has been criticized in recent memory, there will be question marks. The longer misses will test fans’ viewpoint on a kicker’s range. But it’s not something to hang their heads about. Kickers aren’t perfect. Just like us, athletes make mistakes and are only human, right? As fans, we can get upset, but we must consider our expectations. We can’t have every kick made.
And overall, as the confidence grows for Minnesota, the wins will keep following. Take, for example, what our guy Mitch Massman says about the Vikes’ recent success. This isn’t the first time Joseph’s leg has been the difference this season. Week 4, in the London Series, Joseph hit a 47-yarder at the buzzer to upset the Saints.
Overall, Joseph has been a reliable scoring threat in late-game situations for the purple and gold in recent memory. The nickname “G-Money” seems to fit the kicker well.
Thoughts on a Perfect Day
The perfect kicking day seems to be a more elusive reality in the NFL. By perfect, we define it as a placekicker not missing a single attempt in a game. Not only does that include acing field-goal attempts, but also cashing in on point-after tries.
However, in an 18-week season, you never know when a perfect day could turn up. And sometimes it could come from the unlikeliest of sources. The kicker position is seeing a lot of criticism in recent years. And its significance toward games can swing momentum one way or the other.
So, to answer the boiling question, yes, Greg Joseph’s perfection on Sunday is significant. And I think that should catalyze better performances from him going forward this season. It should also give the Vikings a little confidence in who to turn to in a late-game situation.
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