So Far, Quiet Perfection from a Scrutinized Viking
What’s the goal for a Minnesota Vikings kicker? Quiet perfection.
There’s no shortage of hand-wringing when it comes to putting the football through the uprights. An unsaid part of Minnesota’s season, though, is that there hasn’t been much of an issue of doing so. In fact, Greg Joseph — the much scrutinized Viking — has been perfect after his four games in 2023. Can that reasonably continue?
Greg Joseph — The Scrutinized Viking — and The Ever-Present Pressure
Coming into the season, I predicted good things for Mr. Joseph.
The physical talent is present, yes, but it’s the mental side of things that has most impressed me. Joseph takes accountability for his mistakes while vowing to overcome the next obstacle. He certainly had plenty of issues in 2022 — seven missed FGs, six missed XPs — and yet he also had some insanely clutch kicks. The 61-yarder to win on Christmas Eve comes to mind, but he had five game-winning kicks.
My prediction, then, was for Joseph to rebound from his 87% on extra points to surpass 90% in 2023: “Missing an extra point is always deflating. During the 2022 season, Greg Joseph had a paltry 87.0 XP%. He hit 40 of his 46 attempts. Put simply, that’s not good enough. The bet with Joseph is less in his physical abilities (he does have an impressive leg) and more with what’s between his ears. He understands the pressure of his job and doesn’t shrink.”
The season’s four games have led to a dozen attempts to kick an extra point. In every instance, Joseph has been successful. Completing the season with a 100% success rate is unrealistic, but it’s been an excellent start for the South African kicker.
Fields goals have been a bit of a different story.
True, Greg Joseph has yet to miss, but the opportunities have been scarce. In Week 1 and 3, Joseph put a pair of footballs through the uprights (one per game). Both were from the 20-29 range. Since then, it’s been crickets for Joseph on the field goal front.
Expect things to change before long. Some better rhythm from the offense will result in more opportunities for Joseph. Less 3 & outs means more chances to get into range for the strong-legged kicker. One also thinks of Kirk Cousins tossing the interception deep in Carolina’s territory. Even if that ball is incomplete, the Vikings could have eventually come around to a field goal. Picking up 3 points is far better than giving the ball back to an opponent.
The cumulative effort for Joseph has been a pristine 14/14 on his kicks. At some point, he’s going to miss, especially if there are plentiful calls for booming kicks from distance. Until then, simply celebrate the veteran who has consistently proven he’s willing to embrace the pressure.
Defeating Kansas City is going to require a full-team effort. Continued perfection from Mr. Joseph thus has a part to play in pulling off the upset.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.
