Filed under: Vikings Making a Push to Upgrade Special Teams Units

As the Minnesota Vikings get ready for the start of training camp, one area that may be getting a little more focus for improvement this year is special teams. No, the Vikings aren’t getting a new kicker or a new special teams coach, but they have made a number of under the radar moves to acquire good core special teams players and perhaps even a new punter.

Vikings’ Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels has a good reputation in the league, but measured by results, the Vikings special teams units have been mediocre at best in recent years. Last season, the Vikings’ special teams ranked 27th in DVOA- a measure of efficiency. They ranked 30th in both 2023 and 2022.

Last season the Vikings were around average in a lot of special teams metrics like field goals, extra points, and kickoffs. But they were near the bottom in punt team metrics. They were closer to average on kickoff returns- largely because they didn’t do many and took touchbacks instead. The same was true with kickoff coverage. When they did return kickoffs, they were near the bottom of the league in average yards per return.

So, between that and the new kickoff rule this season, the Vikings are looking to upgrade their special teams units this offseason.

New Kickoff Rule Is the Catalyst

The NFL has changed and made permanent the ‘Dynamic Kickoff’ rule it began last season. The biggest changes are:

1. A touchback when the kick lands in endzone in the air or lands beyond the endzone is placed at the 35-yard line. Previously it was the 30-yard line.
2. A touchback when the kick lands first in the landing zone (between the 20-yard line and goal line) before the end zone is placed at the 20-yard line.
3. Kicks that go out of bounds or don’t reach the landing zone are placed at the 40-yard line.
4. Kicks that land in the landing zone and remain there must be returned.

The Dynamic Kickoff rule last season proved to be a dud as teams were content to kick the ball in the endzone and accept the opponent getting the ball at the 30-yard line. Changing it to the 35-yard line (and a landing zone touchback being placed at the 20) creates the incentive for both sides to return the kick. That means kicking teams won’t kick it to the endzone and are betting they can stop the returner before the 35-yard line. For the return team, on a kick that lands in the landing zone they’re betting that by returning it, they’ll start somewhere beyond the 20-yard line, which is where they would start if they let the kick go into the endzone and down it.

So, suddenly the league may go from very few kickoff returns to very few touchbacks. That means kickoffs are now a real play that will be impactful, which in turn means kickoff and kickoff return teams will be impactful.