The lasting image from the Vikings' final game in their temporary two-year outdoor stint in TCF Bank Stadium is Blair Walsh badly hooking a field-goal attempt that almost certainly would have lifted Minnesota to a playoff victory over Seattle.
And now what appears to be the first image of the Vikings in actual gear doing actual football things in the new U.S. Bank Stadium — as tweeted Tuesday by the Vikings — was also a Walsh kick.
No word on whether Walsh made the kick, but it is worth noting this: Of all the players who figure to benefit from a return to the great indoors, Walsh has to be very high on the list.
In his career, Walsh is 55-for-62 (88.7 percent) kicking in domes or retractable roof stadiums. He's 66-for-80 (82.5 percent) kicking outdoors. Aside from those numbers, the simple security of kicking without wind/cold/icy elements is huge for a kicker's confidence.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.
