The Minnesota Vikings head into their bye week sitting atop the NFC North with a 5-1 record. The Vikings have had several games that could've gone either way, but they came out on top and that takes a total team effort.

While most of the talk seems to revolve around the offense and defense, it's the play of the special teams that has earned the Vikings National Football League accolades as of late.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced their NFC Special Teams Player of the Week is Vikings rookie punter Ryan Wright, who had a fantastic performance Sunday against the Dolphins.

Wright punted 10 times in Minnesota's 24-16 win at Miami Sunday, averaging 44.1 yards (43.9 net) per punt. His most impressive punt of the day occurred in the first quarter, when Vikings had to punt from deep in their own territory.

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The Dolphins knew that with the Vikings punting from their own end zone, they'd likely end up with fantastic field position. To tilt things even further in their favor, they put game-changing wide receiver Tyreek Hill back to return the punt.

That's when Ryan Wright boomed a 73-yard punt all the way back to the Miami 20, where Josh Metellus tackled Hill for a loss of 2.

Sunday's 73-yarder is tied with Atlanta's Bradley Pinion for the NFL's second longest punt this season. Tommy Townsend (Chiefs) and Mitch Wishnowsky (49ers) have each logged a 74-yard punt.

 

 

Wright's previous career-long punt was 58 yards, which he had done twice this season, once at Philadelphia then again against Detroit at U.S. Bank Stadium.

He becomes the second Viking this month to win NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, after Greg Joseph's earned the honor at his London performance against the Saints.

While you hope you never have to punt 10 times in a game, it's good to know that you have a punter capable of kicking you out of trouble.

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