Vikings DC Brian Flores’ defense is among the best in NFL history, and these stats define their success this season
It’s remarkable how good the Minnesota Vikings’ defense has been this season, and it’s all thanks to Brian Flores.
The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best defenses in the NFL not just this season, but are tending to be one of the best in history.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has done a phenomenal job coaching the Vikings in his three-plus seasons in the role. Now that we are five games into this season, he looks even better. The Vikings aren’t just playing good football; they are doing something that’s never been done before.
How can we quantify how good the defense is? Let’s take a look at a few defining stats through five games.
Historic blitz rate
When it comes to blitzing, nobody is doing so at the rate of Flores. Most places calculate a blitz as being five or more rushers. For Flores, five rushers is his base pressure package. He loves to be creative with those pressures, and does so at a high rate.
You’ll find slightly different numbers wherever you look, but one thing is constant: they are insanely high. According to Fantasy Points Data, Flores has blitzed opposing quarterbacks at a rate of 73.9% this season, which is 29.2% higher than last season. It’s crazy how much he’s blitzing, and even more so, it’s working. They lead the NFL with a whopping 1.07 yards per drive allowed.
Quarterbacks aren’t doing much against him
One of the best things about how successful the defense has been this season is how they’ve shut down opposing quarterbacks. That has been a constant, and it continued on Sunday, holding Tyler Shough to a passer rating of 38.1. Their season-long number is barely higher at 62.9, and it’s the best mark through five games since the Buffalo Bills in 2021.
What makes this so impressive is how the Vikings have gotten their success. The amount that the Vikings blitz has a lot to do with it. The relentless pressure the Vikings have put on opposing quarterbacks directly correlates to the poor passer rating. The more pressure that you put on the quarterback, the more it builds up over the course of the game, and most quarterbacks struggle instead of building a callus.
Fourth quarter is their best success
When you look at the Vikings, they aren’t just playing well early on; it’s translating to the end of the game. If the Vikings’ run defense were how many points they allowed, they’d be the best in the league.
One thing that stands out with their run defense is how often the Vikings are in base. They run base defense (2 EDGE, 3 DL, 2 ILB, 2 CB, and 2 S) 56.9% of the time, which is first in the NFL. Being able to have that package on the field while still being successful in all phases is what makes this defense so impactful.
