Minnesota’s Special Teams Ace Could Make the Difference on Sunday
K. Joudry
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It’s easy to overlook Kene Nwangwu. After all, Justin Jefferson has been putting together an All Pro season. Kirk Cousins is delivering clutch wins on a regular basis and Za’Darius Smith is one of the league’s leading pass rushers. We could certainly think of other stars on offense and defense who have been in the headlines (T.J. Hockenson, Christian Darrisaw, Dalvin Tomlinson, etc.).
Nwangwu, a 2021 fourth-round selection, rarely gets onto the field for the offense.
Nevertheless, Vikings fans are well aware of who he is, largely due to his special teams prowess. He had a bit of a slow start to the season, but he picked up a touchdown against the Patriots on Thanksgiving night. That touchdown ended up being hugely important; like seemingly every other win, it was a one-score game.
Detroit won’t be an easy opponent. Last week, their offense put up 40 points. For the season, Jared Goff’s side of the ball is averaging 26.3 points per game, 6th in the NFL. I won’t need to remind Minnesota fans that the defense has struggled at various points, so we should expect the Lions to pick up some points.
Meanwhile, the Detroit defense has been playing better lately. Now, I’m not expecting the ’85 Bears on Sunday, but it could nevertheless be a challenge. Kevin O’Connell’s group will need to be sharp.
Special teams, in other words, could end up being hugely important to the game’s outcome. Nailing all the kicks and having great field position could make the difference in the final outcome. After all, the first game of the season ended in a 28-24 win for Minnesota.
Early in the season, Nwangwu struggled to break free. For the season, Kene Nwangwu is averaging 25.8 yards per return. That average is down from his 2021 number: an average of 32.2 yards per return.
In 3 games, Nwangwu has gone without a return. In 5 games, Nwangwu has been held to an average of less than 25 yards per return. He had a game with a lonely return that went for 25 yards and then 3 games with an average that exceeds 25 yards. Keep in mind that a touchback goes to the 25-yard line.
The New England game is the one that stands out the most given the TD. Getting a bonus touchdown from special teams is the kind of thing that’s pretty deflating for the opposition while being supremely encouraging for one’s own squad. Just look at the Minnesota sideline in the above clip.
As most fans know by now, getting a win in tomorrow’s game means Minnesota will officially win the NFC North for the first time since 2017. The result would be a guaranteed spot in the final tournament and at least one game at U.S. Bank Stadium. There is some urgency, then, to find a way to win.
From our current vantage point, the best guess is that Detroit’s offense will pile up some points and the defense will be scrappy. It’ll likely be a close game, one where Minnesota may once again need to grind out the win.
Getting a huge kickoff return from Kene Nwangwu could give O’Connell’s side just enough to secure their 11th win of the year.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
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