Talented Minnesota Vikings player earns award that eases one person’s hot seat and paints a bright picture for Kevin O’Connell
Player of the Week awards have become commonplace for the Minnesota Vikings, and it’s already the second one of the year.
The Minnesota Vikings are 3-0, and their best unit might not even be the defense. It could be special teams, as Myles Price has won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second consecutive week a Vikings player has claimed the honor. Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers won the award last week with his blocked field goal in the red zone.
Price has been fantastic through the first three weeks of the season. He notched a 68-yard kick return against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 and has averaged 29.4 yards on returns across the season. However, it was his 86-yard punt return that earned him this week’s award. Vikings safety Jay Ward was famously fist-pumping after about 10 yards because he knew Price was about to house it. The blocking was tremendous, and Price did the rest.
Matt Daniels has silenced the doubters
The play showcases why the Vikings have kept special teams coordinator Matt Daniels around. Over the course of the offseason and last season, there were legitimate questions about whether Daniels was on the hot seat. His coverage units were not consistent enough, especially on kickoff return. Those coverage arguably cost the Vikings a playoff spot, and it raised a lot of questions about whether the Vikings had the right guy.
Even though kicker Will Reichard is one of the best in the NFL and Daniels is mostly responsible for that growth and development, the whole unit was not good enough to justify full confidence in him. That has changed in a hurry.
The Vikings are now the top special teams unit in DVOA, and a lot of it has to do with Price’s returnability. Minnesota’s ability to flip field position has been a legitimate weapon through three games, giving the offense and defense shorter fields to work with.
Price winning Special Teams Player of the Week marks the 20th time in coach Kevin O’Connell’s tenure that a Vikings player has won a Player of the Week award. That number is impressive and reflects the standard O’Connell has established since arriving in Minnesota. The Vikings are producing elite individual performances across all three phases of the game, and special teams leading the charge through three weeks is a storyline worth monitoring as the season progresses.
Here is the full list of 20 players to earn Player of the Week honors under O’Connell
- 2022: K Greg Joseph, Week 4 (Special Teams)
- 2022: P Ryan Wright, Week 6 (Special Teams)
- 2022: EDGE Za’Darius Smith, Week 8 (Defensive)
- 2022: WR Justin Jefferson, Week 10 (Offensive)
- 2022: RB Kene Nwangwu, Week 12 (Special Teams)
- 2022: QB Kirk Cousins, Week 15 (Offense)
- 2022: K Greg Joseph, Week 16 (Special Teams)
- 2023: ILB Jordan Hicks, Week 6 (Defensive)
- 2023: S Cam Bynum, Week 7 (Defensive)
- 2023: QB Josh Dobbs, Week 9 (Offensive)
- 2023: ILB Ivan Pace Jr., Week 14 (Defensive)
- 2024: EDGE Jonathan Greenard, Week 3 (Defensive)
- 2024: QB Sam Darnold, Week 14 (Offensive)
- 2024: EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, Week 16 (Defensive)
- 2025: QB J.J. McCarthy, Week 1 (Dffensive)
- 2025: CB Isaiah Rodgers, Week 3 (Defensive)
- 2025: DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, Week 9 (Special Teams)
- 2025: S Harrison Smith, Week 17 (Defensive)
- 2026: CB Isaiah Rodgers, Week 2 (Special Teams)
- 2026: WR Myles Price, Week 3 (Special Teams)
