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Additional Minnesota Viking Commentary

Blair Walsh 
Blair Walsh wants to know if his kicking issues will resolve themselves in time ... sort of like Adrian Peterson's prior issue with fumbling, where somehow the ghost knew exactly when AD's fumbling would become alarming and when it was going to be regulated to history.  Again, keep in mind that Adrian's recent fumbling is the ultimate price to be paid for allowing the commissioner to shelve him for 15 games in 2014.  Could Adrian soon be pursuing the Brady-Peterson imbalance in court soon ... only time will tell?   

To be direct, Walsh's kicking issue will resolve itself in the blink of an eye.  In other words, take a look at the problem from another perspective.  What is the difference between missing a 43 yard field goal attempt and going for it on 4th and goal from the 1, 2 or 3 yard line?  Does it matter if you're at the 3 yard line or if you're at the 23 or 33 yard line?  The answer is ... there is no difference, except for the additional yardage penalty of where the ball is placed on a missed place kick.  In the eye's of Norv Turner and Mike Zimmer, there is now absolute equal confidence in both, however one set of risks has a greater upside, and to be direct, they have more control over the decision involving the greater upside.  Some can refer to the recent changes implemented by the Steelers, with a philosophical change between kicking a long extra point versus going for two points, which has now caught the eye of the league.  In other words, if your in Spielman's seat, you've just given Mike Zimmer Carte Blanche when it comes to icing his own kicker.  Why?  Because every time Blair Walsh attempts either an extra point or a field goal, a major uneasy feeling erupts in the stomachs of absolutely every member of this franchise, from the man dunking a mop in the bucket all the way up to Ziggy.  Stress management tells us to not worry about things that are out of our control, so in Rick Spielman's and Mike Zimmer's mind, why would they continue to turn over their controls to someone that takes all control out of their hand.

So you're thinking about your recent contract that will protect you from these new set of decisions.  Keep this fact in mind, the money invested in your contract is sunk (they can't get it back), and if they made a bad decision in regard to your money, that never+ means they will continue to make bad decisions and huge mistakes.  Do you think that you can put the ball through the uprights now?  

In other words, Mr. Blair Walsh, and every other kicker within the league, whether you like it or not, kickers are for all purposes obsolete in this league due in whole, and in part, to the decision to De-Emphasize the Kicking game.   Mr. Walsh, you're no longer kicking the ball to save your own job.  Your kicking performance was to save every place kicker in this league and now it's over.  In other words, moving the extra point attempt back appears to be just a mundane change at first however now it has turned into a Tsunami of change. 

So what's my proof or where that proof that's in the pudding?  At the end of games, on fourth down, kickers aren't coming onto the field on 4th down any more.  In Pittsburgh, they aren't coming on the field for extra point attempts.  In other words, it's over.  

This isn't about anger.  It is what it is.


The Viking Ghost Writer
http://MyVikingBlood.org
Date: September 25, 2015


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