Vikings players endured one of the coldest games in team history last Sunday, with the temperature at 12 degrees when kicker Blair Walsh boomed the opening kickoff.
As my colleague Mark Craig wrote the other day, that adjustment has been difficult for some southerners like cornerback Captain Munnerlyn. But the transition to TCF Bank Stadium has been even harder for the two men who kick the ball, Walsh and punter Jeff Locke.
The Vikings have been preparing for these games at TCF since the spring, when they sent Walsh, Locke and long snapper Cullen Loeffler there this spring to get used to kicking at the outdoor stadium. But there was no way for them to simulate this cold. And getting a feel for the wind patterns at the stadium have proved difficult, too, as they swirl different directions every week.
"It's been really different every week," special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said today. "Some similarities. But there are some differences, and it was very windy coming out of [the eastern end zone on Sunday]. And then you move out to the 30 and it's not as bad."
The elements don't appear to have had a significant impact on Walsh, who hasn't missed a field goal at TCF Bank Stadium since September, and 21 of his 38 touchbacks have come at home, including eight total the past two weeks.
They do seem to be affecting Locke, though.
At home, Locke averages fewer yards per punt (42.8 at home versus 45.0 on the road), fewer net yards (36.9 versus 39.9) and fewer punts inside the 20-yard line (six at TCF and 10 on the road).
"I'll be honest with you, it's hard to punt in that stadium," Priefer said. "You guys know how cold it was. And it was windy and it was different winds at different altitudes. Our end zone, where you come out of our tunnel in pregame, was a nightmare. It was very difficult to punt from there. I was hoping that we didn't have to punt out of that end zone. Putting up with the conditions, I think he's done a great job with that so far. Not a lot of punters would come into that situation with his attitude and I think that's helped him continue to get better as the year has gone on."
