Vikings attempt to avoid diminishing returns

By Jonathan Mohr  |   Friday, July 18, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Minnesota Vikings
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For all the talk in Minnesota about improvements on offense and defense this offseason, special teams may ultimately be the difference between a season to remember or one to forget. And it’s an area the Vikings have been inconsistent at for many years.

While kicker Ryan Longwell and punter Chris Kluwe seem fairly well-entrenched at their positions as training camp nears, there is a bit more uncertainty when it comes to the return men.

Before the arrival of Adrian Peterson, there were many Vikings fans who wished running back Mewelde Moore would get more playing time. Primarily a third-down back during his four years with Minnesota, Moore averaged 4.9 yards per carry and usually seemed to make something happen when he touched the ball.

But, while his touches on offense were sometimes limited, one area where the Vikings did give Moore plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents was on special teams. He served as the team’s primary punt return specialist for a couple of years before splitting those duties with Bobby Wade in 2007.

The duo combined for a less-than-thrilling 8.3-yard average, which was only good enough to place the Vikings 21st in the NFL. But Moore was the stronger half of that combination, returning 13 punts last year and having a 10.0-yard average while doing so. Wade had 16 returns and averaged 7.0 yards.

With Moore moving on to Pittsburgh a few months ago, Wade might be given the opportunity to improve on last year’s performance, or the Vikings will have to find somebody else who can. Wade averaged 9.6 yards per return with Chicago in 2005, so he has demonstrated his ability to do the job. But he also fumbled eight times that year.

Rookie wide receiver Jaymar Johnson will have a chance to earn a spot on the roster returning punts. Johnson averaged 10.9 yards on 43 punt returns during his final two years at Jackson State and scored two touchdowns. He was also one of the quickest players at the combine, turning in top performances in the three-cone drill and the 20- and 60-yard shuttle drills.

The Vikings had a bit more success returning kickoffs in 2007. They were 17th in the league in kickoff return yardage with 1,461 yards (Houston was first with 1,961) and had a 24.8-yard average per return - fourth highest in the league.

Aundrae Allison, a wide receiver from East Carolina who is now entering his second year, handled more kicks for Minnesota than anyone else in 2007, returning 20 for 574 yards (a 28.7 average) and scoring a TD against Detroit on a 104-yard runback, the longest play in Vikings history. Moreover, he averaged 47.7 yards on three returns in that game and had 11 returns longer than 20 yards and three over 40 last season.

Troy Williamson, now a Jaguar, was second on the team in number of kickoffs returned (17) in '07, but he was followed closely by Peterson -- who returned 16 kicks for a 25.8-yard average. Head coach Brad Childress said in an interview last week that Peterson would still be used to return kicks from time to time, but it’s hard to believe he will get many opportunities unless others fail to produce.

The Vikings signed Maurice Hicks as a free agent this offseason to see to it that doesn’t happen. Last season, Hicks returned 63 kicks for a 23.8-yard average as a San Francisco 49er. The seeds for the Hicks’ signing may have been sown Dec. 9, when the Vikings watched him bust two 55-yard returns against them.

Rookie Darius Reynaud, a wide receiver from West Virginia, will also get a look returning kicks. He averaged 26.81 yards per return while in college, the second-highest average in school history.

There are obviously no shortage of combatants vying for return duties in Minnesota. The question: Will anyone distinguish himself? The Vikings had better hope so.
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About Jonathan Mohr

A lifelong Vikings fan, I live in the Twin Cities area (about a mile from Winter Park) and work as an editor at a boating magazine. As with all long-suffering Vikings fans, I patiently look forward to the day when Minnesota finally breaks through and wins a Super Bowl. Until then I eat my...
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