ALAMEDA — Mike Zimmer couldn’t have been more blunt.
Less than 24 hours prior, Vikings rookie kicker Daniel Carlson had missed all three field-goal attempts in a Week 2 tie with the Packers, including two in overtime. His third, a 35-yarder as the clock hit triple zeroes in overtime, drifted wide right. Carlson gripped his knees and stared straight down as the Lambeau Field crowd buried him in cheers.
His final miss was his final kick with the Vikings, who made him the first kicker drafted when they used a fifth-round pick on him in April. Zimmer, the Vikings head coach, was asked the next day why he waived the SEC all-time leading scorer just two games into his NFL career.