Few folks remember — or perhaps selectively misremember — that former Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh was outstanding before his career plummeted. Walsh was fabulous in his rookie season (2012) and then fairly decent from 2013 to 2015. And for Vikings faithful, “fairly decent” is considered outstanding for kickers based on past scars.
Walsh missed a playoff round-advancing field goal in a 2015 Playoff game versus the Seattle Seahawks, rekindling Vikings fans’ disdain for field-goal kicking on the whole. The resentment toward kicking never fully left the Vikings kingdom even when Walsh was paramount, but at least he was sturdy for a prolonged period.