| Advertisement |
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Based on the about-face the Minnesota Vikings pulled off on Wednesday, they should run a reverse on the first play of their game at Washington on Sunday. No one saw it coming. No one saw kicker Blair Walsh still drawing a Purple paycheck after the events that unfolded Sunday through Tuesday in the Twin Cities.
Advertisement
On Sunday, with the offensively-challenged Vikings scratching to end a two-game losing streak at home against the Lions, Walsh missed a game-tying extra point attempt and had an off-line 46-yard field goal blocked and turned into a quick six-point swing.
Then he botched the kickoff after the go-ahead touchdown, allowing the Detroit Lions to get the ball at their 25 without using any of the remaining 23 seconds.
The Lions ended up kicking a 58-yard game-tying field goal before winning 22-16 on an overtime touchdown pass to Golden Tate.
That sent the Vikings, who once were the NFL's last undefeated team at 5-0, to Washington (4-3-1) with a 5-3 record and a half-game lead over the surging Lions (5-4) in the NFC North.
On Monday, Zimmer not only announced that the team would be trying out street free-agent kickers on Tuesday, he indicated that the Vikings' patience with Walsh had expired after seven misses in eight games since his infamous 27-yard duck hook in the closing seconds of the 10-9 playoff loss to Seattle.
Asked why he was going to try out kickers, Zimmer said: "You haven't been watching all year?"
Tuesday came and the team tried out free agents Randy Bullock, Travis Coons, Kai Forbath, Zach Hocker, Marshall Koehn and Aldrick Rosas.
On Wednesday, Walsh was still the only kicker on the roster. And the head coach suddenly had this to say when asked about Walsh: "I still believe in him."
If you say so.
Zimmer left open the possibility of changing his mind, saying: "We'll always evaluate it."
However, Zimmer chose on Wednesday to accentuate the positives that include Walsh's game-winning kicks to beat Chicago and St. Louis a year ago.
Zimmer also said the franchise turned to Green Bay to justify their decision to keep Walsh. Some think it might be because the Vikings are up tight against the salary cap, but Zimmer said that wasn't the case.
"We went back and looked at (Packers kicker) Mason Crosby, who I think is a really good kicker in this league," Zimmer said. "He had one year in this league where he struggled, and he fought through it."
Crosby made only 21 of 33 kicks (63.6) in 2012, but came back to make 33 of 37 (89.2) the following year while regaining his confidence and has retained it to this day.
The Vikings still have the league's No. 1-ranked scoring defense (15.8) and something to build on offensively despite ranking 32nd in total offense (298.8) and 31st in rushing (72.6).
Quarterback Sam Bradford completed 31 of 40 passes with no turnovers and a 103.4 passer rating with interim offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur calling the plays in the first game after Norv Turner's resignation.
The quick-hitting passing attack allowed only two sacks behind a line decimated by injuries and could benefit this week by facing a Redskins defense that ranks 31st in yards allowed per rush (4.9).
Of course, none of this will matter in a typical low-scoring Vikings game if Walsh doesn't get his head and leg straight.
SERIES HISTORY: 20th regular-season meeting. Vikings lead series, 10-9. Vikings are 6-4 at Washington, but lost their last meeting there, 38-26, when Redskins rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III ran 13 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns while passing for a third score. The Vikings have won the last two meetings, both at home in 2014 and 2013. Their last win at Washington came on Christmas Eve, 2011. The teams have met five times in the playoffs. Washington leads that series 3-2, with the most memorable matchup being a 17-10 win at Washington in the 1987 NFC title game.
--Coach Mike Zimmer kept squinting, shading his eyes and wiping at his watering right eye. Finally, a reporter asked: "Mike, is your eye OK?"
Zimmer hates injury questions. But he gave a rare update.
"I had another thing done (Tuesday)," Zimmer said Wednesday. "But it's OK."
Zimmer had eye surgery to repair a torn retina six days before this second procedure. But, other than missing the Vikings' six-kicker tryout session on Tuesday, Zimmer has made no concessions to his schedule to accommodate a bum eye.
He said his vision is "good."
"It's back to work," he said. "Back to the grind."
--Left guard Alex Boone, who missed Sunday's loss to the Lions, appears to be ready to go after being cleared from a concussion.
"I'm feeling better, thinking straight and clear," Boone said. "Back to normal."
Boone said it's "annoying" to have a doctor rule him out because of a concussion. But he's not complaining.
"Sometimes you get hit in the head and things go wrong," Boone said. "I have kids and the last thing I want to do is have to have them take care of me at 35."
NOTES: QB Sam Bradford has four games with a passer rating of 100 or better. That ties his career mark set in St. Louis in 2012 and Philadelphia last year. Only Drew Brees, with five, has more games with a rating of 100 or better this season. ... FS Harrison Smith had a key missed tackle on the overtime touchdown that lost the Lions game last week. But, overall, he has been a vital piece in the league's No. 1 scoring defense. One of the areas the Vikings lead the league in is defending the deep ball. Teams are completing only 8 of 32 passes for 228 yards, zero touchdowns and four interceptions on throws of 20 yards or more. That's a league-best defensive passer rating of 17.2. ... WR Stefon Diggs' 13 catches last week were third-most in a game in franchise history. Running back Rickey Young had 15 against Washington in 1979 and Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter had 14 against Arizona in 1994. ... NT Linval Joseph (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday. If he can't play this week, the Vikings will move Shamar Stephen, a larger starting three-technique tackle, onto the nose. ... PR Marcus Sherels (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. WR Stefon Diggs replaced him on Sunday after he was injured. Diggs was sure-handed but didn't break any tackles. ... CB Captain Munnerlyn (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday. If he can't play, the Vikings have a couple of options. Ideally, they would like to put rookie Mackenzie Alexander at Munnerlyn's nickel slot spot. But they tried that last week and Alexander gave up a short touchdown and was flagged for a penalty at the goal line. He was pulled as the Vikings moved Terence Newman inside and had Trae Waynes play Newman's spot out wide. ... DT Sharrif Floyd, who hasn't played since the opener because of knee surgery, has not returned to practice. ... LB Eric Kendricks, who missed Sunday's game because of a concussion, returned to practice Wednesday. ... LG Alex Boone, who missed Sunday's game because of injuries that included a concussion, returned to practice on Wednesday. ... OL Zac Kerin, who missed Sunday's game because of a hand injury, was limited in Wednesday's practice.
