The Assassin

[StickierBuns]

I've been propping up Will since the day we drafted him. He's got a dawg mentality in a kicker.

[greediron]

I've been propping up Will since the day we drafted him. He's got a dawg mentality in a kicker.

dawg mentality with a puppy face.

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I was at the game and the Cowboys fan behind me said "Here comes Mr. Automatic" when Aubrey trotted out for the 51-yarder he missed.  I asked him if he had something against Aubrey to put a curse on him like that!

That run for a 1st down must have worn him out.

[purplefaithful]

A face that'll put the fear of god in the most hardened of men...

[MaroonBells]

When I drafted him in my fantasy league his rookie season, his picture flashed on the site: "Is he 14 years old?!" was one of the comments.

[Vikesrock]

STOP IT STOP IT!!  Damnit shame on you Vikings fans.....you can not EVER believe in a kicker!  Can you?  I mean...can we?  Is it going to change?   NOOOOO STOP IT!

[Vikergirl]

[StickierBuns]

STOP IT STOP IT!!  Damnit shame on you Vikings fans.....you can not EVER believe in a kicker!  Can you?  I mean...can we?  Is it going to change?   NOOOOO STOP IT!

'Hello'

[purplefaithful]

Vikings kicker Will Reichard “was really looking forward to that matchup” against Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, said special teams coordinator Matt Daniels.

Reichard, 24, walked out with the win and more accurate leg after Sunday’s 34-26 victory at Dallas. He made all six of his kicks, including a 53-yard field goal that extended the lead with about a minute left.

“’Will the Thrill,’” Daniels said Tuesday. “He really missed out on his opportunity to hit the ‘Thriller’ dance … but that was a big-time kick to seal the game. That guy continues to be a monster for us.”

Now Reichard wants to get to where Aubrey, his 30-year-old counterpart who makes 60-yard kicks, has been: Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams. Reichard, a second-year pro, is tied for seventh in the NFL in field-goal percentage (92.3%). He has also made all 27 of his extra-point tries.

Punter Ryan Wright, who had a punt and friendly roll that traveled 65 yards against the Cowboys, continues to have his best year as well. Only Arizona’s Blake Gillikin has a better average net yards per punt than Wright (45) this season.

The Vikings have not had a Pro Bowl kicker since Blair Walsh in 2012. The only punter to make an all-star team in franchise history was Mitch Berger in 1999.
Long snapper Andrew DePaola has made three straight Pro Bowls for the Vikings. He finished first in the Pro Bowl fan voting that closed Monday.

“Hopefully we’re able to get those guys in — all three of them,” Daniels said. “All three of those guys are having All-Pro, Pro Bowl-type of seasons.”

Aubrey, the NFC’s kicker at the last two Pro Bowls, missed two tries from 51 and 59 yards away against the Vikings.

Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers had something to do with that, according to Daniels. He said the Vikings were pressing hard on the edges because Aubrey’s kicking trajectory makes it unlikely to block one from up the middle. Rodgers’ speed off the edge already led to one blocked field goal earlier this season.

“It does something to a kicker from a pressure standpoint,” Daniels said. “Not feeling like you can get follow-through on the football.”

But that aggressive approach also opened the door for the fake. When Aubrey lined up for a 47-yard try in the first quarter, he finished with a 6-yard sprint around the edge for a first down after Dallas’ holder flipped the ball over his helmet to Aubrey.

Strib