Brian Flores’ defense is dancing with disaster, and no one else in the NFL can figure it out
The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best defenses in the National Football League. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores's work with this defense over the last two years has been nothing short of exemplary. He took a putrid defensive unit under Ed Donatell and turned it into an elite unit in the first half of the […]
The Minnesota Vikings have one of the best defenses in the National Football League.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores's work with this defense over the last two years has been nothing short of exemplary. He took a putrid defensive unit under Ed Donatell and turned it into an elite unit in the first half of the year before struggling to finish out the season.
In 2024, they are arguably the best defense in the NFL and it focuses mainly on two parts: continuity with the veterans and improved personnel. Those two factors have been massive in taking the next step.
With that said, how they are playing has made more of an impact.
Vikings are playing really aggressive, but not out of control
The one thing that everyone can tell you about the Vikings' defense is they are aggressive. They lead the National Football League in blitz percentage at 38.0% and it's netted them the fourth-most sacks (39) and pressure percentage (27.0%).
Flores has done a tremendous job of finding creative ways to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. It's not just about blitzing, they are pressuring opposing offenses with one key element: controlled aggression.
The way that the Vikings played Kyler Murray on Sunday afternoon is a prime example of how that works.
They sent linebacker Blake Cashman on a blitz from the strong side and he crashes toward the play-action fake hard. The catch here is that he keeps his eyes up and on the ball at all times.
When you crash hard, oftentimes it can create issues with your leverage and Murray can take advantage of it with his mobility and quickness. Ask any defensive coordinator how important gap control is when playing defense, especially against a quarterback who can run.
Cashman is always in control of his movements and is able to put his foot in the ground and explode backside to put pressure on Murray. They would ideally like to hit the corner route over the top for a bigger gain but the pressure from Cashman prevents that from ever becoming a possibility.
Cashman isn't the only one; the pass rushers, mainly Jonathan Greenard, have also done a great job of doing so.
The Vikings do a great job of collapsing the pocket here. It forces Murray to escape the pocket and that's where Jonathan Greenard does a great job of pursuing him down the line of scrimmage.
It's not just that Greenard pursues him down the line and makes the tackle, it's how he goes about it.
When Greenard starts to pursue Murray, he's explosive in his pursuit but knows that with Murray's quickness and athletic ability in space, he could easily stick his foot into the ground and cut the ball back. Greenard knows that could end up being a thing and he doesn't overpursue him and gets the tackle in-bounds on a crucial third down at the end of the game.
Aggressiveness is a crucial element in playing both offense and defense. However, being aggressive just because can end up being a huge detriment to getting wins.
The Vikings are hyper-aggressive, but their PhD level of intelligence has been huge in their success. If you stay under control, great things will happen and they hope it will result in a Super Bowl.