Do We Need to Be Concerned About Greg Joseph?
LeeAnn Lowman
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Just as Viking fans thought they had the kicker of their dreams some problems have arisen leaving fans to wonder if Greg Joseph is just another flameout Vikings kicker.
South African place kicker, Greg Joseph, is not new to the NFL any more than kicking woes are new to the Minnesota Vikings. Joseph joined the Cleveland Browns in 2018 as an undrafted player out of Florida Atlantic University. He has bounced around the NFL pretty much every year – the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before landing on Minnesota’s practice squad in 2020.
Big Leg, Strong Start
In 2021, after a year on the practice squad, Joseph showed Minnesota fans why so many teams had been interested in him, he has a BIG leg. Last year with the Vikings he made 33 of his 38 field goal attempts, making kicking at a rate of 86.7%. This included 7 of 9 on kicks over 50 yards.
Then training camp 2022 came and the world stood with their mouth agape as he kicked field goals of 58 yards with ease in training camp. This made Viking fans cautiously optimistic.
This Seasons Highs and Woes
As the season got underway Joseph carried the same energy into the early games. He made a 58-yarder in Denver in the final preseason game. In Week 1 against the Packers, he kicked a 56-yarder, which tied a franchise record.
It seemed as though new Head Coach Kevin O’Connell and Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels had found the kicker of their dreams. Then Week 3 arrived. They called on Joseph to kick two 56-yard field goals. They both went wide right, by a lot.
Week 4 the Vikings played the Saints in London and Joseph seemed to rebound a bit. He kicked a 46-yarder and later a 47-yarder to win the game. That helped everyone forget that he missed an extra point earlier in the game. These efforts earned him the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Week 5 rolled around, and no one was sure which Jospeh would show up. Apparently, it was the evil twin, in something that looked like a repeat of Week 3. He attempted two field goals of more than 50 yards, at US Bank Stadium, which is indoors. He missed the one from 53 and the one from 51 was blocked.
Keeping the Faith
Head Coach O’Connell said he is not ready to throw in the towel on Joseph. He went on to say, “My confidence in Greg will not waver,” O’Connell said on Monday. “I expect him, when he goes out there, to make those kicks. And I’m going to continue to give him opportunities. Because you just never know when those three points can be a difference-maker like it was in London for us, or at other times during the season.”
A Symptom Not a Cause
O’Connell acknowledges that the offense needs to do a better job setting Joesph up for success by getting him a better field position. The fact that Joesph is constantly being brought in to kick over 50 yards is a symptom of Minnesota not being able to seal the deal as they near the red zone.
So, Joseph is not automatic. For most kickers, field goals of 50+ yards are considered a 50/50 shot. It would be the coach weighing the odds of success vs. turning the ball back over. However, because Joseph was so successful early in the season he set some high expectations.
O’Connell isn’t the only one voicing his support of Joseph, Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels said today, “We didn’t hold up our end of the bargain. A lot of self-inflicted wounds out there that practically gave Chicago a little breath of fresh air.”
The missed field goals were not the only errors, of course. There was also a bad punt and costly penalties. Daniels said the important thing is that the team found a way to win. He noted you can fix or work on mistakes, but you can’t change the win/loss column.
How Worried Should Fans Be?
It seems premature to be extremely worried, especially since there is not a wealth of Justin Tucker-like kickers out there waiting to be selected. Even so, the inconsistencies are a cause for concern. In today’s NFL, most kickers are expected to be able to hit most of their 50+ yard field goals. Minnesota has dealt with kicking struggles before. After all the ghost of Daniel Carlson still haunts us. We should not forget that after being released by Minnesota, Carlson has developed into an excellent kicker.
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The Vikings are currently winning, sitting at 4-1 atop their division, and wins have a way of gilding everything with gold. It blurs the edges on some of the concerns with the kicking game, since “a win is a win.” However, it’s hard to purge ourselves of the ghosts of kickers past. Minnesota may need to continue monitoring the situation with Joseph.