Vikings Sophomore Continues His Alarming Trend
Vikings training camp is a time of ups and downs. Players have better and worse days, and it’s undoubtedly important to note that most wins for one guy are another guy’s losses. For example, if a receiver smokes a cornerback, the rep depends on the viewer’s half-glass-full (or empty) approach.
Vikings Sophomore Continues His Alarming Trend
That’s not true for everyone, though. If the kicker misses a kick, nobody wins except for the anxiety of Vikings fans, who are already dreading the game-winning field goal attempt that’s surely going to hit their TV in September or October.
And in Eagan, Minnesota, we’ve already seen way too many misses from Will Reichard to feel comfortable about the next field goal attempt. The second-year kicker had a horrendous day once again, as Will Ragatz of SI.com reported.
“Will Reichard missed twice from inside 40 yards to end practice. Both went wide left. It hasn’t been a very sharp camp for the Vikings’ second-year kicker,” he wrote shortly after Saturday’s practice.
Alec Lewis (The Athletic) noted on social media, “Will Reichard kicked again today. Went 3-5, but missed from inside the 40 twice. Both missed wide of left upright.”
Reichard arrived in last year’s draft, and Skol Nation hoped the kicker curse could be overcome. Indeed, it was promising early in his tenure with the club, as the rookie hit all 34 kicks in his first seven games (20 extra points and 14 field goals).
But then the ghosts of the past caught up to the all-time NCAA leader in points scored, and he suffered an injury in the victory over the Colts, resulting in the first two misses of his young career. A subsequent stint on IR led to Vikings fans celebrating Parker Romo’s magic leg, and suddenly, their franchise had not only one but two decent kickers.
Once healthy, Reichard returned, but he never got back into his early-season groove, missing four field goals and botching some kickoffs in the final five games (six with the playoff matchup). Perhaps his injury wasn’t fully healed, the offseason will fix it, was a fair thought.
A few months later, however, Reichard is still struggling. The two misses on Saturday weren’t his first mishaps.
Craig Peters of Vikings.com wrote in his camp observations on Saturday last week: “The Vikings closed practice with the first field goals of camp. Will Reichard was good from 33 yards (the same distance as an extra point) to open the session and followed with makes of 41 from the right hash and 45 from the left hash. After a kick from 48 yards on the left hash flew wide left, Reichard responded with makes of 50 and 54 from the right hash to end the period.”
Ragatz wrote a couple of days later: “Will Reichard hasn’t been automatic in the first couple days we’ve seen him kick. He hit the left upright from 53 yards out in the situational period, then later missed wide right from 46. I believe Reichard was 5 for 7 on the day, including makes from 48 and 50 yards.”
That’s an alarming trend, as it doesn’t seem to be a one-day issue, but a string of practices with the same problem, despite the lowered pressure of practice. Nothing else has changed, with Andrew DePaola and Ryan Wright still completing the trio of the kicking battery, although it should be noted that it’s not known whether rookie punter Oscar Chapman has taken any holder responsibilities.
It’s quite possible that Reichard can regain his confidence (and aim) in the upcoming weeks, but fans will surely dread the first field goal attempt with high stakes in the regular season. Reichard is the only kicker on the roster, so he’ll get some practice shots in the preseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.