Vikings Kicker Greg Joseph Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
After making all five of his field goal attempts in a 28-25 win over the Saints, Vikings kicker Greg Joseph was named the NFC special teams player of the week.
Joseph connected on field goals from 28, 36, 24, 46, and 47 yards out. The last one, with 24 seconds left, ended up being the game-winner. Joseph did miss one of his two extra point attempts, but he more than made up for it. It's the first player of the week award of his career.
"It’s awesome," Joseph said on Wednesday. "I appreciate it. I appreciated all the well wishes. But I think it’s a team award. Credit to Kirk (Cousins) and the offense for getting us down there. Credit to the big boys up front helping me make kicks and the snap and the hold."
Joseph is the first Vikings kicker to win the award since Dan Bailey did so three times in 2019. Kick returner Kene Nwangwu won it once last season.
The Vikings' entire special teams unit has been one of their biggest bright spots in a 3-1 start. Joseph has been good, rookie punter Ryan Wright has been good — he even completed a pass on a fake punt on Sunday — and the coverage and return units have been sharp. New coordinator Matt Daniels has the Vikings' special teams rolling right now.
"He showcases us and shows his confidence in us and lets us loose," Joseph said about Daniels. "That says a lot without saying a lot. That’s really translated well."
"You’ve got guys like (Josh) Metellus, KB (Kris Boyd), Troy Dye, (D.J.) Wonnum, Pat Jones. The list goes on. Just dogs. They take pride in it and when you get that talent mixed with that effort and they want to do it on special teams you’re able to do some pretty special things."
Joseph is in his second season as the Vikings' kicker. He struggled a bit early in the 2021 season, but improved over the course of the year. He's also shown the ability to make clutch kicks. Joseph kicked last-second game-winners against the Lions and Packers last year, and now has his first game-winner of this season.
For the native South African, it was extra cool to do it at Tottenham Hotspur stadium, because his grandfather was a big Spurs fan.
"It was very cool," Joseph said. "A surreal, surreal experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Especially because my grandpa was a Tottenham Spurs fan. So doing it in a stadium that he would’ve absolutely loved to see means a lot to me. Very cool weekend. I’ll never forget it."
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