Did you know the Vikings would waltz out of Week 1 at Cincinnati with a trustworthy kicker and a bonafide WR3 — all while losing a game to the Bengals?
That’s the paradox of the NFL on full display as early as Week 1. The Vikings effectuated deadly miscues throughout its 2021 maiden-voyage contest but did draw some silver linings from the matchup.
In the 27-24 loss to Cincinnati, a kicker emerged. Greg Joseph nailed a game-tying 53-yard field goal as regulation expired, sending the rollercoaster game into overtime. On the whole, Minnesotans did not expect Joseph to connect – he missed everything longer than 50 yards during the preseason – but he did this time when it mattered.