Vikings Considered Taking a Swing at an NFL Record
The Minnesota Vikings are suddenly second in the NFC North, trailing the Detroit Lions because of the newly-acquired head-to-head tiebreaker. It was the first loss of the season for Minnesota in one of the least anticipated years in franchise history. The expectations have risen after the remarkable start, but one kick made the difference at the end of the day.
Vikings Considered Taking a Swing at an NFL Record
That kick came from Jake Bates, a former UFL kicker who has been perfect for the Detroit Lions.
The kicking game has also been flawless in the Twin Cities, and special teams coordinator Matt Daniels must be pleased with his rookie Will Reichard.
Kevin O’Connell’s crew had 15 seconds, starting at Minnesota’s 30-yard line, down two points. A field goal could win it, but with no timeouts, it’s almost impossible to get the necessary yardage in the available timeframe. Oh, and the clock needed to be stopped to get the field goal unit onto the field.
One explosive play and then either spiking the ball or stepping out of bounds was the goal. Indeed, the Vikings almost made it happen. Sam Darnold found breakout receiver Jalen Nailor in the middle of the field for a 20-yard gain. All players sprinted down the field to get set so Darnold could stop the clock.
With one second on the clock, the Vikings got that job done, at least to some extent. Unfortunately, no receiver was standing at the left side on the line of scrimmage, leading to an illegal formation penalty on Christian Darrisaw, pushing the Vikings back five yards.
Ironically, that flag prevented a shot at history. The Vikings wanted to give rookie Reichard a chance to hit the 68-yarder, but the 73-yarder was out of his reach, as O’Connell confirmed after the game:
I was thinking about sending him anyway when the penalty marked it back. I think it would’ve been a 73-yard field goal at that point, just outside his range. But I would’ve absolutely given him a swing there. That’s a pretty significant gain, especially with the play we had on, trying to make sure we could get as much as possible before a potential Hail Mary chance, but the goal was (to kick the field goal).
The current NFL record for the longest field goal is held by a future Hall of Famer, Justin Tucker, who hit a 66-yarder in 2021. Brandon Aubrey drilled a 65-yarder earlier this season, which ranks second all-time.
Reichard, meanwhile, has already hit once from 58 yards and once from 57 yards in his six games with the Vikings. In franchise history, those two field goals trail only Greg Joseph’s 61-yard game-winner against the New York Giants on Christmas Eve in 2022.
Joseph was let go in free agency, and the Vikes pivoted to drafting Reichard in the sixth round. That move earned GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah some criticism, but through six contests, he has been terrific, hitting all 12 field goals and 18 extra points.
Coordinator Daniels stressed his confidence in Reichard’s range a few weeks ago.
It’s quite a bummer that Reichard didn’t get the chance to set the record, but the good news is that the Vikings seem to have found a reliable kicker for the first time in a while.
The 23-year-old hopes to extend his streak of converted field goals and extra points on Thursday when the Vikings face the Rams.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt