NFL Analysis
12/29/24
6 min read
Vikings Success Isn't All Sam Darnold—Brian Flores Has Minnesota Playing Super Bowl D
For all of the hype going into Sunday's game between the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings, defensive coordinator Brian Flores put on a masterclass to make sure the game wasn't competitive.
The Vikings held onto a 27-25 win against the Packers to move to 13-2 on the year. The win keeps the Vikings in the hunt for the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and the NFC North title pending a win next week against the Detroit Lions.
Sam Darnold deserves a lot of credit for the team's success this season. He was expected to be a short-term starter at best and a backup at worst in favor of first-round rookie J.J. McCarthy. Instead, he has led the Vikings with a dominant passing season, including on Sunday, throwing for 377 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception for a 116.1 passer rating.
However, the success of the Vikings couldn't be possible without Brian Flores and his defense.
An Aggressive Defensive Scheme
Even prior to Sunday's win, Flores has had the Vikings' defense firing on all cylinders.
According to FTN Fantasy, the Vikings had the third-best defense by DVOA, including the second-ranked pass defense. Minnesota spent the offseason overhauling its roster to fit Flores' scheme, and the blend between scheme and talent has made the defense a force to be reckoned with.
The other numbers are just as impressive for the defense. According to TruMedia, the Vikings came into Sunday ranked first in success rate (61.4 percent), second in third-down conversion rate allowed (34.3 percent), and first with the lowest passer rating allowed (81.5).
Flores' entire defensive identity is disguising coverages, and pre-snap looks to send additional rushers or blitzes as frequently as possible. The Vikings have the highest blitz rate in the NFL against the pass, blitzing on 36.4 percent of dropbacks.
That aggressive mentality had Jordan Love in fits for the majority of Sunday's game. After being sacked just four times in his last eight games, he has brought to the ground three times against the Vikings. According to PFF, he was blitzed on more than 70 percent of his dropbacks and posted a passer rating of just 77.3 when under duress.
Everyone on the @Vikings was fired up for this sack on 3rd and 13 👏
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
📺: #GBvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/kHwOmwCmu6
Even when Flores blitzes into the run, the Vikings stay disciplined enough to avoid giving up explosive plays on the ground. They were the fourth-ranked run defense by DVOA heading into Sunday and continued to do a good job of holding a "bend, don't break" mentality against the run.
While Josh Jacobs had some decent runs throughout the day, he averaged only 4.1 yards per carry on the day.
This aggressiveness from Flores is hard for defenses to succeed with, but that's not the case in Minnesota. It's near the top of the league with 31 takeaways and is third in the NFL with 234 pressures.
None of that is possible without talent that fits Flores' scheme.
Elite Defensive Talent
This offseason, the Vikings invested heavily in their defense through the draft and free agency. All those moves look like home runs, unlocking the defensive scheme and allowing them to dominate even the best offenses in the league.
The Vikings spent big money to acquire Jonathan Greenard in free agency, signing him to a four-year, $72 million contract to leave the Houston Texans. That move helped Greenard experience a breakout year that could have earned him Pro Bowl and even All-Pro honors.
Greenard has been one of the most difficult EDGEs to handle in the league this year. Along with 11 sacks and four forced fumbles, he's generated 75 pressures on the year, good enough for third in the NFL behind Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson.
After being a somewhat unknown commodity in 2023, Greenard has transformed into a legitimate star on Minnesota's defense.
Blocking Jonathan Greenard with a TE, not gonna work pic.twitter.com/JPWCvF9wCH
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) September 22, 2024
However, Greenard isn't the only pass rusher finding success for the Vikings. Andrew Van Ginkel is having a career year with 11 sacks and 47 pressures (along with two interceptions returned for touchdowns), while Pat Jones II has seven sacks and 24 pressures.
Other new faces have also impacted this defense. Linebacker Blake Cashman leads the team with 41 defensive stops and a solid missed tackle rate of just 10 percent. Defensive lineman Jihad Ward has also been tough to handle, ranking third on the team with 31 pressures.
All of those bodies capable of generating pressure up front have led to career years from defensive backs Byron Murphy Jr. and Camryn Bynum. Murphy is allowing a career-low passer rating when targeted (78.6), generating six interceptions and 13 pass breakups. Meanwhile, Bynum has set career-high marks with three interceptions and 10 PBUs.
All of these players on Minnesota's defense are ascending at the right time, and it's making the Vikings even more dangerous than analysts originally expected.
Are the Vikings LEgit Contenders?
Anyone who is continuing to question Minnesota's legitimacy hasn't been watching lately.
Even in the games where the Vikings aren't delivering their best performances, Kevin O'Connell's teams keep finding ways to win. In fact, they're now 26-9 in one-score games since KOC took over as the Vikings head coach.
This is a team used to playing when the pressure is on. They've found a legitimate starting quarterback capable of getting the ball to exciting playmakers in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson while being able to run the ball with Aaron Jones. All of this is while Flores and his elite defense keep finding ways to get the ball back to the offense in advantageous situations.
If that doesn't scream Super Bowl contender, then nothing does.
