As he reflected on the big blunders that have cost the Vikings over the past few weeks, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels had a pretty straightforward assessment of the unit as a whole.

Green Bay Packers safety Zayne Anderson (39) recovers a muffed punt by Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Myles Price (4) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

“We have to stay out of our own way,” Daniels said. “That’s really what it is.”

The most frustrating part for Daniels is he feels like the Vikings have been beating themselves on special teams more than anything else. It’s a careless mistake here or a missed assignment there.

“That’s really what the conversation has been,” Daniels said. “It’s not the opponent necessarily beating us.”

Though it’s not fair to say special teams has singlehandedly lost the Vikings games over the past few weeks — the offense has certainly contributed to the cause — that unit has played a fairly significant role in the current losing streak.

In the loss to the Baltimore Ravens, rookie returner Myles Price fumbled a kickoff return while unnecessarily fighting for extra yardage.

In the loss to the Chicago Bears, a handful of players strayed away from their lane assignment on a kickoff return that proved to be the difference.

In the loss to the Green Bay Packers, a punt hit Price after he decided to abandon the fair catch.

“We just have to stay disciplined,” Daniels said. “If we’re doing what we’re coached to do, then we’re not feeling the need to have to press.”

Some of that stems from young guys going through growing pains. But while that’s part of the process, Daniels noted that he has to find a way to simplify the instruction so everybody understands their roles.

“That’s where I have to do a better job,” Daniels said. “Sometimes I kind of get into a world of trying to do too much. I have to treat these rookies like rookies. Because that’s what they are.”

The most challenging part of special teams is the fact the good plays go relatively unnoticed and the bad plays often swing the momentum of the game.

“The margin of error on this unit is none,” Daniels said. “That pressure is an opportunity that we have to embrace.”

As hard as Daniels has been on the unit as a whole over the past few weeks, as well as himself, he has also made sure to maintain a sense of positivity by highlighting some of the things they have been doing at a high level.

“That’s what I try to communicate to the guys,” Daniels said. “We’re doing so many good things, and then we have this colossal error. It’s hard to say we have to be perfect because nobody is perfect. We’re chasing perfection, and hopefully we end up with excellence.”

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