The Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard would have gone into the bye week with a perfect kicking record this season. So it’s understandable for him to ask the league to take out his missed field goal in the game against the Cleveland Browns from the record books. Much to everyone’s surprise, the league even admitted that it was a missed call.

However, the league decided to stick to the original stats, despite requests from both Reichard’s agents and the Vikings’ front office. “The NFL acknowledged it was a missed call but ruled they will not make the statistical adjustment,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on X.

While it’s true that the game is done, the kicker’s request is also fair. But officially, it’s still a miss.

With just over 9 minutes left on the clock, the kicker lined up for a 51-yard attempt that looked right on target before it suddenly took a hard right turn. Slow-motion replay, however, showed the ball hitting the camera cable on its way up before getting deflected.

Under NFL rules, the football hitting the camera or any other obstruction during a play results in a retry. But you can have a do-over if nobody sees it. Even Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t notice. Neither did Reichard himself.

“I didn’t notice anything during the game,” Vikings O’Connell shared. “That’s a pretty tough angle for us normally, anyway. Most of the time, I’m just trying to gauge the crowd reaction. … I did not see it in the moment.”

Something similar happened in the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys game at the MetLife Stadium, where quarterback Justin Fields’ pass bounced into the Fox Skycam. The play was ruled incomplete.

Reichard is now at 8-for-9 so far this season. His 62-yard field goal in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3 has been one of the highlights of the season, as it is the fifth-longest field goal in league history, and a Vikings record.

The previous Vikings record was held by Greg Joseph, who kicked a 61-yarder in 2022. As for the longest kick in league history, that record belongs to ex-Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who kicked a 66-yarder in 2021.

Fortunately, while the kick against the Browns was a miss for Reichard, it wasn’t a miss for the Vikings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, who are headed home after a 21-17 win over the Browns.

The Vikings return home after a 10-day international trip

It wasn’t just the camera. Injuries, disrupted routines, and travel fatigue were other factors that were troublesome for the team. While some players and coaches enjoyed sightseeing in Dublin and London, many felt a little down without their families and more exhausted than usual, dealing with disrupted sleep and fewer ways to recover compared to a regular NFL week.

They suffered a 21 – 24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park, Dublin, and headed for London. “Two sleeps left,” coach O’Connell said. “But who’s counting?”

As the international trip came to an end, the players and coaches opened up about their experience.

“It was tough,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “You’re not eating the way you normally eat. You’re not getting the recovery you normally get. You’re not seeing the people you normally see. You’re not getting the ‘juice’ you usually get. There’s so many things that go into it. But we talked about it all week.”

Even Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores found himself torn over the ups and downs of so much time away.

“I’m not a homebody, but I certainly miss my family,” Flores said. “They were here for Ireland. That was great. Once they go, it’s just, the boys had a game [that I missed]. We had a lot of FaceTime. But it’s good to be here with the team. There’s certainly some team building and camaraderie happening.”

Back home, this will be a crucial period as they prepare for the Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are coming off back-to-back losses.