The Vikings Evidently Have One “Reason for Concern”
The Minnesota Vikings enter the postseason on Monday night, traveling to Los Angeles for a date with the Rams, a team that beat them in October.
The Vikings Evidently Have One “Reason for Concern”
The purple team is expected to win by a point or two, according to sportsbooks, though the Rams can beat any team in the business if they’re in the right mood.
And per ESPN, the Vikings’ main reason for concern with the postseason just days away is kicker Will Reichard. The rookie specialist has returned to earth after a perfect seven games to begin his first campaign, and some, including ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, wonder if Minnesota has a budding problem.
“Reason for concern: The Vikings are 9-1 in one-score games for several reasons, including well-timed field goals from Will Reichard and John Parker Romo, who served as a four-game injury replacement. Reichard opened the season by converting his first 14 field goal attempts before suffering a quadriceps injury. Since then, Reichard has made 10 of 16 kicks,” Seifert wrote this week in an ESPN article that outlined every playoff team’s top concern.
Reichard missed a 51-yard field in Week 18 and took a lot of heat from fans because the game had such high stakes. The rookie also drilled a kickoff out of bounds late in the 2nd Quarter at Detroit that stifled momentum.
Seifert added, “The Vikings still have full confidence in Reichard and don’t believe that he is having any lingering effects from his injury. But taking a rookie kicker into the playoffs can be nerve-wracking, especially when he enters the postseason in a bit of a slump.”
Reichard finished 2024 with an 80.0% field goal success rate, which isn’t too elite, all things considered. It’s just that he was so dependable out of the gate during his maiden voyage season that fans built up a trust level.
Of course, Minnesota, as a franchise, is notorious for ruthless field goal misses at the worst time imaginable, so anything pear-shaped about Reichard’s performance is magnified. It will be up to him in the postseason on Monday night and perhaps beyond to get back on track to his early season form.
But let it be known: ESPN believes Reichard’s recent struggles are the team’s top concern on the eve of the playoffs. Less than ideal.
The Vikings haven’t played the Rams in the postseason in 25 years.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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