Head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings do not have a game this week, but they are still making news. More specifically, kicker Will Reichard is garnering attention over his supposed missed field goal during the Vikings’ Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns in London.
Reichard’s camp submitted a formal request to the league in protest of the ruling on the field goal, hoping to get it stricken from his record.
Their efforts, at least so far, have fallen short.
NFL Sticks With Incorrect Stat on Vikings K Will Reichard
GettyWill Reichard #16 of the Minnesota Vikings attempts a field goal against the Cleveland Browns.
The kick came during the fourth quarter of the contest, with the Vikings trailing the Browns 17-14 and Reichard on to tie it.
Instead, the Browns got assistance on a “block” from the television equipment.
“Sources: #Vikings K Will Reichard’s agents and the team’s front office requested that the NFL remove his missed FG from last week’s London game after it clearly struck a camera cable, causing the ball to take an unnatural turn to the right.” Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported in a post on X on October 11.
“The NFL acknowledged it was a missed call but ruled they will not make the statistical adjustment.”
The “miss” stands as Reichard’s only one this season.
NFL Does Soft Pivot on Vikings Ruling
Getty Will Reichard #16 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts after missing a field goal against the Indianapolis Colts.
Initially, the NFL did not even concede that the cable was the cause of Reichard’s kick going wayward.
“The league’s position, I’m told, is that they didn’t have a clear view of the ball hitting the cable,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said on “Football Night in America” on October 5. “Some would say, yes, the eye in the sky does not lie.”
The Vikings were not the only team to endure such a fate on a field goal try.
The New York Jets also had an incident during their game at home against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.
Cowboys defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. deflected Jets quarterback Justin Fields’ pass up and into the Skycam in New York. In that instance, officials ruled the pass incomplete. It should have been deemed a “do-over,” per Florio.
Neither ruling helps Reichard, and the Vikings still defeated the Browns, winning 21-17.
There is more than just one game at stake for Reichard, though. There is also a chance of joining a historic bunch, but it requires the NFL’s help at this point.
Will Reichard Chasing History
GettyWill Reichard #16 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the New York Giants.
Reichard’s unblemished efficiency is about more than appearances; there are historical implications for the Vikings specialist. He could become the third kicker in NFL history to attempt at least 30 field goals without any misses in a single season, per Stathead.
Reichard is on pace for over 30 tries. The previous two instances are Mike Vanderjagt, who did it with the Indianapolis Colts in 2003, and former Vikings kicker Gary Anderson in 1998.
Anderson and the Vikings ended that season one win shy of a Super Bowl berth.
Reichard, who the Vikings selected with the No. 203 overall pick of the 2024 draft, connected on 24 of his 30 tries as a rookie. He was 9-for-9 on field goal tries and 16-for-16 on extra point attempts through five games last season.
At any rate, the Vikings will need Reichard to get right back on track when they return from the bye to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7.
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