TAMPA, Fla. — The Vikings need a new kicker, and after their 26-14 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, they'll need a lot of luck.
They lost their most important game of the season at Raymond James Stadium as Arizona and Chicago were winning, meaning that the Vikings will have to win their three remaining games to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs.
What they'll remember if they don't is Dan Bailey's performance against the Bucs.
He missed four kicks, including an extra point and a 36-yard field goal, and his shakiness altered the Vikings' approach near the goal line, which could have cost them as well.
Bailey needs to go.
What's tougher to determine is whether the Vikings, particularly coach Mike Zimmer, should be blamed for his presence in Tampa on Sunday.
Before the last two weeks, he had made 12 of 14 field goal attempts and 26 of 27 extra points. Last week against Jacksonville, he missed three of his six kicks and the Vikings had to go to overtime to beat a horrible team.
Should Zimmer have fired Bailey?
It's easy to say that now, but what has damaged the Vikings in the past has been Zimmer's impatience with kickers. He dumped Daniel Carlson after a bad performance and now Carlson, with the Raiders, is one of the NFL's most accurate kickers.
What's sad is that Bailey seemed to develop the yips overnight, at the end of a long and excellent career. He seemed to flinch as he was approaching the ball, and his first pulled miss led to three pushes to the right.
Whether Zimmer deserves blame for Bailey's presence or not, his inability to find a long-term reliable kicker has again damaged his tenure.
