The Vikings are 3-0, and a big part of that start has come from a phase of the game that used to draw plenty of grumbling: special teams.
That’s a sharp turn from last season, when some fans were ready to move on from Matt Daniels after a botched kickoff following Minnesota’s go-ahead touchdown against the Chicago Bears. Now, three games into 2026, special teams has helped drive wins in all three.
It started in Week 1 against Green Bay. Minnesota opened with a comeback win over its rival, and the first points of the season came on a 38-yard field goal from Will Reichard after the Vikings fell behind 10-0.
The turning point came later, when DeeJay Dallas laid down a key block to spring Myles Price on a 68-yard kickoff return. That run put Minnesota at the Green Bay 28-yard line with the Packers ahead 22-10, and the Vikings rode the momentum to a 39-22 victory.
Week 2 was even more lopsided in special teams’ favor. In ugly weather, the Vikings’ offense was slowed down, but Reichard kept them afloat by drilling field goals from 35, 49, and 39 yards.
Cairo Santos accounted for Chicago’s only points with three field goals of his own, and Isaiah Rodgers came close to blocking one of Santos’ early tries before getting to the second one in the fourth quarter. That block gave Minnesota prime field position and helped protect a six-point lead.
Then came Week 3 in Tampa, where special teams may have mattered most of all.
With rookie punter Brett Thorson sidelined by a hamstring injury, Johnny Hekker made his first start for the Vikings. Thorson had been excellent through two weeks, punting 10 times with a 45.8-yard average, a 44.1-yard net, and five punts inside the 20. Hekker handled the job well against the Buccaneers, punting eight times for a 46.5-yard average, with two punts inside the 20.
But the headline plays belonged to Reichard and Price. Reichard opened the scoring with a 54-yard field goal, giving Minnesota a 3-0 lead.
Later, Price delivered his first career punt-return touchdown, racing 86 yards to the end zone. It was Minnesota’s first punt-return touchdown since 2016, when Marcus Sherels brought one back 79 yards.
The Vikings’ offense didn’t do much outside of a 41-yard touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to Jordan Addison, so Reichard had to finish the job. After Tampa cut the margin to one in the fourth quarter, he added field goals from 56 and 43 yards. Through three games in 2026, Reichard has been perfect: seven of seven on field goals and six of six on extra points.
What stands out most is how often special teams has already swung these games. Reichard, Price, Thorson, Hekker, and Rodgers have all played major roles in Minnesota’s unbeaten start, and the third phase has done more than just hold serve. It has changed games.
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Giants Plan For J.J. McCarthy Says Plenty About Vikings Trade
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For Vikings fans, that naturally brings the trade back into focus. McCarthys college success came in a system that did not ask him to carry much of the passing load, and his time in Minnesota showed how difficult that transition could be when the offense asked for more. If the Giants are already shaping their offense around those concerns, it only sharpens the question of what the Vikings believed they had, and why they were willing to move on when they did. [Read more 🡒]