Life as an NFL kicker isn’t for the weak of mind. You’re either the hero or the goat, and there’s rarely any in between.

A perfect example is conversation currently surrounding Vikings rookie Will Reichard.

Never mind that he has been excellent for the Vikings since being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. After he missed a couple of field goals in a 27-25 victory over the Green Bay Packers last weekend, the Vikings suddenly find themselves answering questions about Reichard heading into the regular-season finale at Detroit this weekend.

Not surprisingly, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels expressed confidence in Reichard while talking to reporters on Tuesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. In the same breath, Daniels also made it clear that the missed field goals had nothing to do with the quad injury that landed Reichard on injured reserve earlier this season.

“He’s not injured at all,” Daniels said. “He’s perfectly fine.”

As he went into detail about Reichard’s most recent performance, Daniels emphasized that not all misses are created equal.

On the missed 57-yard field goal, Reichard simply got under the ball too much, causing it to hit the crossbar and come up a little bit short, Daniels said. On the missed 43-yard field goal, Reichard yanked the ball ever so slightly during his follow through, causing it to hit the left upright and fall harmlessly to the turf.

“He’s very hard on himself,” Daniels said. “He’s always putting the team first. It’s always like, ‘Ah I let my team down.’ He never wants to do that.”

In total, Reichard is 21 of 26 (80.8 percent) on field goals this season, and 38 of 38 on extra points. In other words, Reichard has proven to be reliable, and the Vikings need that heading into the playoffs.

“Every point is going to truly start to matter here,” Daniels said. “He fully understands that.”

McCarthy is like a sponge

As he recovers from season-ending knee surgery, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has continued to soak up as much as he can, doing everything in his power to make sure he can hit the ground running whenever he’s allowed back on the field with his teammates.

The hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Neither has the way McCarthy carries himself whenever he’s at TCO Performance Center.

“It hasn’t really felt like he hasn’t been around,” offensive Wes Phillips said. “He’s got a great personality. He’s not going to let anybody walk past him without saying something. He’s got a great way about him.”

Asked how much McCarthy can learn simply by watching the Vikings have so much success this season, Phillips smiled, then said, “It’s better than watching a losing team.”

Pace makes his presence felt

If it wasn’t obvious how much the Vikings missed linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., he immediately provided a reminder against the Packers. After missing month of action on injured reserve, Pace barreled his way into the backfield on the first play from scrimmage.

The perfectly timed blitz helped the Vikings stop the Packers for a minimal gain.

“I thought he played well,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. “He got something like 20 or 25 plays. (We) just wanted to get him going and get his feet wet. We’re certainly going to need him.”

Related Articles

Dane Mizutani: Sam Darnold keeps proving Vikings have everything they need

Cam Akers delivers clutch performance in Vikings’ victory over Packers

Five takeaways from Vikings’ 27-25 win over Packers

Packers fans defeat Vikings fans in Stillwater tug-of-war contest

Vikings hold on for win over Packers to set up pivotal game with Lions next week