When Jordan Love narrowly dodged a cataclysmic injury in Sao Paulo, Adam Schefter reported that the Week 4 divisional showdown against the Minnesota Vikings was in his crosshairs. At the time, there was a lot of uncertainty around the Vikings organization. With Malik Willis under center for the next couple of weeks, Minnesota and the Green Bay Packers would be limping into that game. Instead, we’ll be treated to an epic tilt between potential NFC juggernauts – whether Love suits up or not.
The Vikings and Green Bay can attribute their respective 3-0 and 2-1 records to the coaches at the helm. Kevin O’Connell has Sam Darnold finally looking like everything he was supposed to be. They had essentially signed Darnold as the lame-duck veteran placeholder role that Tyrod Taylor and Jacoby Brissett majored in. A big talking point around the gradual transition to first-rounder J.J. McCarthy was using Darnold as a sacrificial lamb through the gauntlet of high-profile early-season opponents and letting the rookie develop. After McCarthy tore his MCL and the Vikings declared him out for the season, Darnold’s standing at the top of the depth chart became very real, and he has delivered.
Similarly, Matt LaFleur has gone 2-0 with Malik Willis by creating an entirely new offensive system to take advantage of Willis’ unique skill set. Considering Brian Gutekunst acquired the former third-rounder for a seventh-round pick and that the Tennessee Titans’ entire fanbase, as well as the media, were out on the 25-year-old, the body of work that LaFleur has put forth here is a massive flip. From outside-zone running to read options to quarterback draws, Fox’s Joe Davis appropriately characterized the Packers as having put their young backup in a “rocking chair” as the team marched up and down the field with authority.
In most seasons, that alone would have LaFleur penciled in as an early front-runner for AP Coach of the Year. However, O’Connell’s Vikings aren’t just 3-0; they’ve left the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and everyone’s favorite ascending superstar C.J. Stroud in their wake. On Sunday, something will have to give. The young offensive coaches have split their four contests 2-2, and the tiebreaker will go a long way toward shaping the NFC North race, which currently looks like the best division in football.
Minnesota’s coaching praise hasn’t been limited to the offensive side of the ball. Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is dazzling the film nerds with his defensive scheme, which has featured disguises that have bewildered Brock Purdy, Stroud, and Daniel Jones. In one such example, Flores’ unit showed a single-high safety and a double-A gap blitz. However, after the snap, it morphed into Tampa 2, which assigns a deep third to two defensive backs outside the numbers and the Mike linebacker down the seam.
Flores had high praise for LaFleur in his press conference Wednesday, saying, “I don’t think it’s being talked about enough – what’s going on there with Malik Willis.” He also acknowledged what many fans have already picked up on, that the offense under Willis is entirely transformed from their base system with Love. They’re not only preparing for two QBs, Flores said, but two different schemes.
As a calling card of his development, Love struggled mightily against Flores’ defense in an early home game before dicing them in Minneapolis down the stretch of 2023. If he gets the nod, it will be fascinating to see how he fares relative to Purdy and Stroud, emerging young stars to whom he is often compared. The early attention LaFleur is getting for his masterclass with Willis is long overdue. While it was fair to question the extent of his contributions to an offense that included Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, he has more than proven that he belongs in the Shanahan-McVay tier of elite offensive innovators with his development of Love and the young skill players around him.
The Coach of the Year award has been fundamentally broken recently, rewarding coaches who surmount low expectations over pure schematic dominance. If the award stayed true to its name, it would be the likes of Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Bill Belichick winning with more regularity rather than Kevin Stefanski, Brian Daboll, and Mike Vrabel, each of whom appears in hindsight to have gone on more of Linsanity runs than having out-coached the league. Based on early betting odds, Sunday’s divisional showdown will be the NFC North race and the Coach of the Year race.
