Kevin O’Connell thought about it.
The Minnesota Vikings were looking at a 68-yard field goal to beat the Detroit Lions in Week 7. Will Reichard has a powerful leg and hadn’t missed all season. Minnesota had an opportunity to beat a team that had reached the NFC Championship last year and stay undefeated – until Christian Darrisaw took a five-yard illegal formation penalty.
“We’d love to have a chance to give Will a swing at the very end,” O’Connell said. “I was thinking about sending him when the penalty kind of marked it back. I think it would have been about a 73-yard field goal at that point, just outside his reach.”
The Vikings were worried about Reichard missing the kick short. But they also had another concern in mind.
“Seventy-three was probably a little bit of a stretch,” said Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. “Last thing I want to send Will out there trying to hammer the football, and now we got pulled groin as a result of it.”
Earlier in the season, when a reporter asked Matt Daniels about Reichard’s range, he said 65-plus. Pressed for a specific number, Daniels said, “plus.” However, after the Lions game, we got something close to an exact number.
“The 73-yarder would have just been a little tough, especially not with any wind aid or anything like that,” said Daniels. “But I’m confident that that 68-yarder could have definitely went through the uprights, for sure. 70 even, too.
“Had we not gotten the illegal formation that pushes five yards back, we definitely would have sent Will out there.”
Therefore, people were surprised when Reichard’s first missed kick was a 51-yarder against the Indianapolis Colts last week. The easy joke was he was getting the miss out of the way before the NFC Championship game. However, there was a more significant issue lingering underneath the surface.
Reichard was injured.
After Reichard converted his first extra point following Jordan Addison’s one-handed catch in the third quarter, he told Daniels that he felt his quad tighten. Later, the NBC cameras showed him wrapping his leg.
By that point, Reichard had also missed a 31-yard kick before halftime. After the game, he told the Star Tribune he had been dealing with some soreness before the game and further strained his leg in the first half. However, Daniels said Reichard had a good day of practice on Friday and didn’t let the team know about the injury until after he made his first PAT.
“Will didn’t bring that up to us during the week,” said Daniels. “I thought he had one of his best sessions [on] Friday. … He was striking the ball really well.”
Daniels said Reichard told him the quad injury didn’t affect either missed field goal. He added that the Vikings prioritize communication, especially between Tyler Williams’ medical staff and the coaches.
“We have a great network of communication going,” he said. “So, if there was ever anything going on with the player from an injury standpoint, I would be the second to know behind KO.”
Long snapper Andrew DePaola appeared to injure his right hand tackling Colts punt returner Josh Downs in the fourth quarter. On Tuesday, the Vikings put both DePaola and Reichard on injured reserve, meaning they cannot activate them until Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Minnesota replaced DePaola with longtime Los Angeles Rams long snapper Jake McQuaide and Reichard with John Parker Romo. McQuaide, 36, is a 14-year veteran. Romo went undrafted out of Virginia Tech in 2022 and spent time with the Vikings in camp. He will make his NFL debut on Sunday in Jacksonville.
In a week, the Vikings have gone from having a Pro Bowl long snapper and a kicker with 70-yard range who didn’t miss until last week to replacing two-thirds of their kicking unit.
“It’s tough, especially when it’s at the kicker and the snapper position because that requires the most being in sync,” admitted Daniels.
“But that’s why you get labeled the title of coach. [I] got to do an unbelievable job of coaching these guys up and try to get it together. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find a nice, good, consistent operation.”
Last year, the Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to an Achilles injury after beating the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. They had worked their way back to .500 after starting 0-3 and had to start Jaren Hall against the Atlanta Falcons. Hall suffered a concussion on the second drive, and O’Connell guided Joshua Dobbs, who they traded for that week, to victory.
Minnesota lost six of seven games to end the season with Dobbs, Hall, or Nick Mullens under center. However, the Atlanta game highlighted O’Connell’s ability to coach quarterbacks. That, combined with his success with Sam Darnold this year, indicates he can develop J.J. McCarthy with clean hands once he returns from injury.
The kicker isn’t as important as the quarterback. However, Vikings history has highlighted the importance of a sound kicking game. Minnesota trusted Reichard to convert a 68-yard field goal to beat the Lions. Now they’re starting a rookie against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If Daniels can guide Romo until Reichard returns, he may prove he’s the exorcist for Minnesota’s kicking demons a year before its franchise quarterback steps on the field.
