The Vikings Special Teams Will Face Some Pressure in 2022
K. Joudry
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Ryan Ficken did a nice job with the Vikings special teams in 2021. The Kevin O’Connell hire, though, preceded widespread change on the broader staff. Ficken is now with the LA Chargers; Matt Daniels is the one who is in charge of coordinating the special teams in 2022.
Most of the focus this offseason has been on what O’Connell can do for the offense and how Ed Donatell can revitalize the defense. Special teams, though, ought not be overlooked. Greg Joseph is looking to build off his solid 2021, punter Ryan Wright is entering his rookie season in the NFL, and the returners have the potential to be great.
Daniels’ task is to bring it all together.
The Challenge for the Vikings Special Teams
Ficken now works for the Chargers, a team that highlights some of his accomplishments from last year:
He directed a special teams unit that led the NFC and ranked second in the league in kickoff return average (26.5), as kicker Greg Joseph led the conference with 33 made field goals, including a conference-best seven makes of 50-plus yards. Ficken’s unit was ranked ninth in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, while punter Jordan Berry’s gross average of 46.5 yards per punt ranked the best in franchise history. Under Ficken’s tutelage, running back Kene Nwagnwu [sic] led the NFL with two kickoff return touchdowns and was named All-Rookie as a kick returner by the Professional Football Writers of America. Nwagnwu, fullback C.J. Ham and long snapper Andrew DePaola were all named alternates for the Pro Bowl on special teams.
As the above paragraph suggests, the Vikings special teams performed well last year. Now, the quote obviously leans toward the positives rather than some of the negatives. The special teams were not without blemish (such as the Week 2 miss at the end of the Cardinals game).
Nevertheless, it was a mostly encouraging year for the special teams, so some Vikings fans were disappointed to see Ficken head elsewhere. Daniels has taken over and he’s looking to continue magnifying the positives while shrinking the negatives.
The offseason news about Joseph has been almost exclusively positive. With the Packers on deck, Joseph will have an opportunity to show that he’s capable of extending his exemplary play into a game that matters. Where he might improve is with the extra points given that he only had a 90% conversion rate last year. Of course, we’re all hoping to see him drill clutch kicks.
Daniels will also be looking to get the most out of his coverage and return units. Some of the Vikings’ core special teams players will likely be Josh Metellus, Kris Boyd, Troy Dye, Brian Asamoah, Jalen Nailor, C.J. Ham, Ben Ellefson, Luiji Vilain, Johnny Mundt, and Ty Chandler. These players (among others) may be leaned on to be great tacklers and/or blockers in the various phases on special teams.
Looking Ahead
Adding Jalen Reagor means the Vikings special teams has an even higher ceiling. Reagor’s punt return potential alongside Kene Nwangwu’s kick return potential means the upcoming games could feature a lot of scary punts/kicks for the opposition.
Consistently solid performances from Joseph and Wright are a top priority. Great blocking and tackling from the various depth players who contribute on specials are also of the utmost importance.
And overseeing all of this is Matt Daniels, who is in his first season as the Vikings special teams coordinator. If Daniels’ group takes a step back, some will wonder about whether it would have been wise to retain Ficken. Indeed, the special teams will face some pressure as the 2022 season gets going. Recent success has left fans with some high expectations.
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