Every NFL team strives to achieve excellence in every aspect of the game. On Sunday in Detroit, the Minnesota Vikings put their special teams on full display, for better or worse.
Minnesota’s offense and defense did their job throughout the game, but the specialists allowed them to play complementary football. Four key plays helped the team secure its fourth win of the season on Sunday.
Kickoffs
The Detroit Lions came into the game rested after a bye and showed it with an opening-drive touchdown.
Before J.J. McCarthy and the offense could step on the field, rookie return man Myles Price rattled off a 61-yard scamper, setting the tone for the offense.
Price’s speed and vision have shown that he can change the game as a returner. His breakaway ability has put this team in the top 10 in the league in average yards per kickoff return after his 164-yard performance on Sunday. Price’s 61-yard gain is the seventh-longest in the NFL this season, according to NFL.com.
He displayed his elusiveness plenty this season. You can’t help but feel as though it’s only a matter of time before he finds his way into the end zone, which almost happened later in this contest.
Price’s ability to create a spark when the offense needs it most accentuates just how special Minnesota’s special teams are and how the third dimension of the game can help set up the other two.
Tavierre Thomas
While most players did their job at an elite level throughout the contest, Tavierre Thomas had two costly penalties. Thomas was Minnesota’s most penalized player in Sunday’s contest, with two flags. Both penalties could have been costly for a team that seemed to be in control of the game.
It also doesn’t help that the penalties occurred on back-to-back special teams plays.
The first was to end the third quarter, after a Jake Bates field goal. On the ensuing kickoff, Price took off for what would have been the longest return of the season, a 99-yard house call.
Instead, Thomas gets flagged for a holding call that backed the Vikings to their own 25-yard line.
After three plays and negative two yards, the team had to punt to the dangerous Kalif Raymond, who had a punt-return touchdown already this season. Punter Ryan Wright decided to keep the ball out of the dangerous return man’s hands. Still, because Thomas didn’t make an effort to re-establish himself in bounds, a 51-yard punt turned into a 36-yard punt, setting up the Lions with excellent field position to start the fourth quarter.
While Thomas’ indiscretions ultimately didn’t affect the game’s outcome, those penalties could have netted Detroit 10 points.
The Block
It wasn’t all bad after special teams offense started the game on a high note. That dynamic special teams defense also got in on the fun. While Bates was trying to make this a four-point game, Levi Drake Rodriguez and the rest of the line made an exceptional play, as Rodriguez got his hands on the attempt and batted the ball down.
Had it just been batted down and jumped on by either side, it would have led to really nice field position late in a one-score game. Leave it to Isaiah Rodgers to scoop the ball off the turf and lead the charge the other way, taking it all the way to the Detroit 26-yard line. That led to the game-winning 20-yard field goal and a two-possession lead.
Most games and analysts focus on the offensive and defensive sides of the game. However, the specialists can shift the balance. Unless it’s a massive highlight or lowlight, the casual fan may not notice some of these swing plays.
While some may want to get rid of this part of the game due to injuries and the usual bore-inducing plays it often leads to, the Vikings proved just how special special teams are in any given game.
