Happier returns this season

The Vikings won the NFC North last season almost in spite of their special teams play. They are well on their way to repeating as division champions this season in part because of a significant turnaround in their special teams.

The combination of Percy Harvin's dynamic return skills and major improvement from the coverage units led coach Brad Childress to call his special teams play a "thing of beauty" Monday.

That's a far cry from last season, when the Vikings gave up an NFL-record seven special teams touchdowns and had no real juice in the return game.

"I think the mindset when we started the season was that we're going to forget about last year," said safety Eric Frampton, one of the team's core special teams players. "Last year doesn't matter. We're going to adopt a new way of approaching special teams and I think everyone has done that."

Of course, adding a player of Harvin's ability doesn't hurt. The first-round pick ripped off two momentum-changing kickoff returns -- 77 and 48 yards -- in Sunday's 38-26 victory at Green Bay that put the Vikings at 7-1 heading into their bye week.

Harvin slipped to No. 2 in the NFL in kickoff return average (30.7 yards) this week after Miami's Ted Ginn returned kickoffs 100 and 101 yards against the New York Jets on Sunday. Harvin and Ginn are tied for the league-lead with two kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Harvin has added a dimension to the return game that wasn't present last season. The Vikings had only four kickoff returns of 35-plus yards in 2008. Harvin already has five.

Harvin's ability as a returner has given the offense great field position. The Vikings lead the NFL in average starting field position on kickoffs at 34.9.

"That's a big deal, a huge deal," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "You start at the 5 or the 20 or the 10, that's a big difference than starting at the plus 40."

Jaymar Johnson has flashed some big-play potential on punt returns too, as did Darius Reynaud before he injured his hamstring. The Vikings had four punt returns of 20-plus yards last season; they have matched that total in eight games in 2009.

As explosive as the Vikings have become in the return game, Childress was quick to note that the coverage units also have put the defense in good situations. Their opponents have started an NFL-high 12 drives inside their own 20-yard line. That's a byproduct of the Vikings' commitment to upgrade speed and personnel on coverage units this season.

"Just to watch that thing fit up [Sunday] a couple of times, it's a thing of beauty," Childress said. "I just think those guys have taken special teams to a whole different level, that whole unit. What's more, when I say guys playing together, you see offense, defense, they are up on their feet. They know that we are playing well on special teams. It's exciting for them to know that we are going to go down there and sock a returner in the nose and get the ball back."