By Sam Ekstrom
It’s been a while since the Vikings have had continuity on their special teams – primarily the field goal unit.
In 2012, it was punter Chris Kluwe holding for veteran placekicker Ryan Longwell. One year later, Longwell was jettisoned for rookie Blair Walsh, and a year after that it was Kluwe being shown the door in favor of left-footed punter Jeff Locke.
While the player personnel remains the same this year, the coach — special teams coordinator Mike Priefer – is under fire for homophobic remarks and is set to be suspended for the first two or three games. This is a tough blow for the Vikings and their young kickers.
Two years ago, Priefer’s job was made simple by virtue of having three seasoned specialists: Longwell, Kluwe and highly-acclaimed long snapper Cullen Loeffler – now the Vikings’ longest-tenured player. But since there has been a generational shift, Priefer’s presence is needed more than ever to keep Walsh and Locke on the same page, especially with new outdoor surroundings away from the windless Metrodome.
According to Locke, he and Walsh have little say in the collaborative process of gameplanning for the opposition. That comes from the coordinator.
“They kind of relay to us the part of the plan that we’ve got to execute,” said the second-year punter. “Sometimes we’ll look at film with them and see what’s going on in different areas, but a lot of it is up to them.”
For the first several games of the season, including matchups against St. Louis, New England and possibly New Orleans, Priefer will not be available for guidance. While the coach is suspended, assistant special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken will take a much larger role, and the team is also considering hiring an interim coordinator, according to a statement released by general manager Rick Spielman.
Locke isn’t too worried, however. He says he trusts in any gameplan the coach draws up. But it helps to be well prepared, too. Long before Priefer’s suspension came down, Locke was scouting out his new stomping grounds in Dinkytown.
“Blair and I went a couple times, and we’d check out the weather forecast – national and local,” said Locke. “Then we’d go to the stadium and translate it to how the wind was blowing in the stadium.”
The old Metrodome had a clear home-field advantage: Noise. But at the friendly confines of TCF Bank Stadium, advantages will be tougher to find. Only a handful of Vikings have ever played a game at the Gophers’ stadium – the frigid Monday night game in 2010 after the Metrodome collapsed. Like Locke, Priefer believes the kicking game can serve as a home-field edge if the kickers know which way the wind is blowing.
“We’ll have a good idea going into every pre-game how strong the winds are, what the crosswinds are going to be like, tailwind, headwind and what we need to do to be successful,” said Priefer. “It should be an advantage over our opponent.”
TCF Bank Stadium has a horseshoe design that leaves the west end of the facility exposed. Any west-moving breeze could make its way inside the stadium and create a swirling wind current.
“If you know where the winds are going, you’ve got your sightlines, and we’re going to use that as a home-field advantage,” reiterated Priefer.
Both the special teams coordinator and the punter have an eye for detail; it’s what makes them successful at their craft. To demonstrate: Locke has already tested the turf at TCF Bank to determine how quickly the ball spins when he places it on the turf to hold during a field goal attempt. He has also designed a chart that maps out wind currents during specific weather conditions.
Understandably, this chart is for special teams’ eyes only.
“I can’t give away trade secrets,” said the punter.
Though Priefer is going to miss an eighth or more of the season, he believes his star pupils are fully capable of performing without his tutelage. Part of that confidence comes from routine. Walsh and Locke had a full offseason to get more familiar with each other, and Locke has grown accustomed to the proper NFL punting technique. Priefer says Locke suffered from “paralysis by analysis” last season; overthinking things.
“He’s such a smart young man,” said Priefer on Monday. “He was thinking too much. He was slowing down. He wasn’t just going out there and kicking.”
As was the case with Chris Kluwe, Locke will be instructed to be a directional punter with good hangtime. So while Priefer’s next statement was figurative, he would also like it to be a precursor for Locke’s punts this season.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Priefer said.
Sam Ekstrom is a staff writer for Cold Omaha at 105 The Ticket. He has previously served as a play-by-play broadcaster in Iowa and South Dakota and has covered Minnesota sports since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @SamEkstrom for further insights.