Kevin O’Connell Has “Dangerous Confidence” In 1 Young Viking
The Minnesota Vikings won the Week 3 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that has historically struggled in the State of 10,000 Lakes. Scores came from all angles, with two touchdown returns from corner Isaiah Rodgers, a pair of Jordan Mason runs, and a couple of endzone throws by Carson Wentz.
Kevin O’Connell Has “Dangerous Confidence” In 1 Young Viking
Sophomore Will Reichard added 12 points to the scoreboard, hitting two field goals and six extra points. Especially sweet was his 62-yarder with the clock running out in the first half.
With that kick, Reichard has entered the record books for nailing the longest field goal in franchise history, breaking Greg Joseph’s Christmas Eve miracle from 2022. His head coach, Kevin O’Connell, was asked about his young special teamer after the game.
“I mean, you guys saw it, to hit it [from] 62 [yards], darn near halfway up the net is something else. And I got so much confidence in Will, it’s almost dangerous.”
Dangerous because O’Connell might get a little too excited about his kicker, letting him try kicks out of his reach. This one, however, was not out of his reach. In fact, it looked like it might have been good from 70.
Asked whether O’Connell would let Reichard attempt kicks from 62 if the clock wasn’t running out, he confidently responded:
“Oh yeah, for sure. The big thing is you’re thinking, throughout the game, is it a green on our charts to go for it? The way Ryan Wright’s been punting the ball and our gunners are consistently showing up at the shoelaces of the returners, then field position in a game, especially with your defense playing like that, that leads into it. But there’s gonna be times where Will’s going to hit that kick in a really close game and [it] could be to win it, it could be three points we need to win it, it could come early in the game, if it presents itself, and that’s the kind of confidence that I have in him.”
In today’s NFL, coaches tend to go for it on fourth downs between the 40 and midfield. Perhaps a fourth-and-long could give Reichard a shot at another piece of history. In only 16 games with the purple team, Reichard has hit four of the five longest kicks in franchise history.
Reichard was selected with a 6th-round pick in the 2024 draft to replace Greg Joseph. The predecessor was clutch for the Vikings a few times, but his inconsistency on extra points and his low field goal percentages undoubtedly left room for improvement.
In his rookie campaign, Reichard was fantastic to start the year, hitting his first 20 extra points and 14 field goals. Then, the injury versus the Indianapolis Colts occurred, and he botched a pair of field goal attempts, followed by a four-week stretch on IR. Once he returned, Reichard’s aim was off, and he missed four more field goals and even booted some kickoffs over the sideline, resulting in penalties.
This year’s training added to the concerns early on, but he quickly bounced back and was back to his old self later in camp and in the preseason.
So far in 2025, Reichard has hit all seven extra points, as well as all six field goals, including three from 50 or more yards out.
The best kickers in the game are difference-makers, and the Vikings might have one of those in the 24-year-old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.