Only one other team has one
While we’re waiting for a full transcript of Mike Zimmer’s press conference from Thursday in Indianapolis, there is one tidbit that Minnesota Vikings fans will probably find fairly interesting.
Given the number of issues that the Vikings have had with kicking over the past few seasons, Zimmer said during his press conference that he was giving serious consideration to hiring a kicking coach. Zimmer said he’s discussed the idea with Baltimore Ravens’ head coach Jim Harbaugh. . .the only NFL head coach, as far as I can tell, that has a dedicated specialists coach on his staff. . .and that new Special Teams Coordinator Marwan Maalouf is open to the idea.
“[It’s] the technique and seeing a little flaw here or a little flaw there,” Zimmer said. “As you know, we’ve struggled finding the kicker or consistency at that position, especially, and I go back and I think about the three kicks [that Daniel Carlson missed] in Green Bay and when Blair Walsh missed that 27-yarder and how much that affected how the organization. If we get in the playoffs [instead of missing them by a half-game in 2018], who knows? If we win that first playoff game [against] Seattle [after the 2015 season], who knows? Those are the kind of things that enter my mind if we’re trying to get to the next level.”
I, honestly, wouldn’t have any idea what would make for a good kicking coach or who would be a good candidate for the job. I know that former Vikings’ special teams coach Gary Zauner runs his own kicking academy, but who knows whether or not he’d even be willing to take a job with the Vikings.
Still, I suppose it’s encouraging that this is a direction that Mike Zimmer is looking in to help this team improve. Given this team’s recent. . .and not-so-recent. . .history with field goals, they should be willing to look just about anywhere to find an answer.
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