Jump to content

Special K (and P and LS and the rest of the special teams unit)


Klomp

Recommended Posts

6 minutes ago, vike daddy said:

welll... all these special teams players not working out and getting cut. wouldn't he have had a great deal of sway in their acquisition in the first place, and certainly their training and performance.

But, isn’t that the nature of a lot of special teams players? Outside of the top 5 or so kickers and punters, many of them seem to float around the league, making 1-2 year stops. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, vikingsrule said:

but how would his background and performance compare to if he was an offensive or defensive coordinator? 

I guess it would depend on the success he’s had. Which, I don’t think has really been bad during his time here. 

Walsh was looking like a top 5, fixture at kicker until that playoff game against Seattle. They tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he flat out fell apart. Which was unfortunate. They brought in Forbath, who has always been a journeyman, and he did well during his year and a half here. But he was upgradeable, and that’s what the Vikings believe they’ve done with Carlson. Time will tell. So while they’ve had a revolving door at kicker, outside of Walsh falling apart mentally, it hasn’t been because of poor performance. 

Punter is a bit different. They though they found replacement for Kluwe (which we know was done because of personality conflicts between him and Priefer, so maybe you can put the blame on Priefer for that) in Jeff Locke, and that failed. Then they got Quigley, who had a very good year last year.  Now, they feel like they can upgrade from him. 

So, there’s really only been one failure (Locke) between the kickers and punters under Preifer. The rest has simply been attempts at upgrading what was solid production.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wile has appeared in four NFL games, totaling 553 yards on 12 punts with a long of 59 and an average of 46.1.

This preseason, the 26-year-old punted eight times for 392 yards (49.0 average) with a long of 58 for the Steelers. He and the coverage team had a net average of 48.8 and placed four punts inside the 20-yard line without having a touchback.

https://www.vikings.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-new-vikings-p-matt-wile?sf196770377=1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, vike daddy said:

Wile’s father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather all attended the University of Michigan’s Medical School. Wile slightly broke tradition by enrolling in Michigan’s College of Engineering.

https://www.vikings.com/news/5-things-to-know-about-new-vikings-p-matt-wile?sf196770377=1

Another smart punter. This could be fun

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, vike daddy said:

it just seems the one special teams person never held accountable is...Priefer.

Part of me does make me wonder if there will be a time soon where Priefer has to take the fall. If this was an occasional topic, it'd be one thing, but it seems to be something every single season.

It's not like Zimmer was even the guy who brought him in. Priefer was the one coordinator who was a holdover from the previous regime. Hey, maybe we could hire the Chargers ST coach?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wile averaged 48.8 net yards for the Steelers in eight preseason punts, while Quigley struggled in the preseason. Quigley, who replaced Jeff Locke last year, averaged just 36.4 yards net on 22 punts this preseason.

https://www.twincities.com/2018/09/02/vikings-replace-ryan-quigley-at-punter-with-matt-wile-sign-9-to-practice-squad/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quigley:  “It’s the way this business works. It’s tough to hear, but I have nothing but respect for the Vikings. They gave me a great opportunity. It always catches you off guard any time you get released. But I didn’t perform at the level I know I can this preseason, and that’s what happens in this league. If you don’t perform, you don’t usually last too long. But I’m not going to lose confidence in myself.”

https://www.twincities.com/2018/09/02/vikings-replace-ryan-quigley-at-punter-with-matt-wile-sign-9-to-practice-squad/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike Priefer teased Holton Hill about not fully telling the truth when he got to Minnesota. Priefer asked players to raise their hands if they had return abilities and Hill didn't speak up. The Vikings STC found out "by accident" that Hill had been a kickoff/punt returner before when he stumbled across his high school film in an article. Against Tennessee last Thursday, Hill ripped off a 53 yard kickoff return that was "one broken tackle away from a really big play, could've been a touchdown." Hill still has a ways to go, particularly with ball security, but has the breakaway speed needed and could provide the Vikings with an extra layer in the return game.

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41030753-4

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...