PHILADELPHIA -- Kenjon Barner remembers with clarity how Josh Huff's kick return touchdown against the Vikings last season unfolded.
In the Philadelphia Eagles' 21-10 win on Oct. 23, 2016, Huff pulled in a second-quarter kick, ran to his right and followed running back Wendell Smallwood through a gaping hole. Smallwood's block paved more room for Huff to reach the sideline and bolt into the end zone for the a 98-yard Eagles touchdown.
Barner watched the play live from the Philadelphia sideline that day. And he also studied the film of it this week, he said.
With Huff out of the league and Darren Sproles injured, Barner has taken over this year as the Eagles' primary kick and punt returner, which gives him an opportunity to leave a deep imprint on Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the Vikings. He's envisioned scoring his first return touchdown of the year against Minnesota, just like Huff did nearly 15 months ago.
"That'd be awesome," Barner said.
So the fifth-year veteran went back to look at Huff's return from last year to get a feel for how the blockers carved a big hole. Though Barner said the Vikings have altered their kick coverage schemes this season, it's still worth studying kick return touchdowns.
"I'm sure they're not going to play us the same," he said. "Based on film, they're obviously doing something different. But you definitely look at it. You look at long returns, not just from us, but from all the teams in the league to see how they got it."
The Eagles had the NFL's fourth-ranked defense this year, while the Vikings' gave up the fewest yards and points of any team in the league during the regular season. Both teams will start quarterbacks who began the season as backups, too, leading most experts to peg Sunday's contest as a likely slugfest in which points will come at a premium.
Barner knows that. He understands what kind of a long return Sunday could have.
Huff's return last season doesn't necessarily alter his outlook, though. Instead, Barner explained that a solid plan and good blocking remain crucial elements to any long kickoff return, and that doesn't change just because the Eagles found the end zone once the last time they played the Vikings.
"Whether we got one last year or not," Barner said, "I still have confidence in the guys that are in front of me."