Sometimes even a good punt returner is hard to notice.
A player could be back deep and picking up chunks of yards on a consistent basis, but if they’re not running it back all the way, fans might not take notice.
A bad punt returner, on the other hand, is easy to spot, so it hasn’t been hard to see the Vikings’ struggles in that area.
K.J. Osborn has four returns for an average of 1.5 yards. Chad Beebe is worse. He has five returns for an average of 1.4 yards.
Both have had ball control issues as well. Osborn fumbled on a punt return against the Cowboys near the beginning of the game. Beebe muffed a punt at a crucial time in the fourth quarter vs. the Panthers.
It doesn’t matter which way you look at it, the Vikings have a problem with punt returning. Here is an idea they could try: