Brian Flores says he learns from everybody. He learns from his players and other coaches. Flores would even use a blitz concept from a media member if he liked it, which should frighten everybody. Perhaps he’ll send a corner after the quarterback in the third quarter if you ask nicely. But the Minnesota Vikings’ new defense coordinator takes a lot of inspiration from Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
How could he not? Mike T, as he calls him, is one of the best in the business. Tomlin hired Flores as a special defensive assistant last year after the Miami Dolphins fired him as their head coach. Flores has since sued Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, alleging that he offered him cash incentives to lose games, and the league for discrimination against Black coaches. Still, Tomlin added him to his staff last year, and Flores passed on multiple head coaching positions to join Kevin O’Connell as his DC.
Flores is fond of some of Tomlin’s famous sayings, most notably, “Not every meal is a banquet.” Tomlin used that saying to explain to his defensive linemen that a tipped ball can be as good as a sack on certain plays. Flores jotted it down, as he did with much of what Tomlin said. “With Mike T, every meeting, you get a nugget,” says Flores. “I feel I’m pretty good in front of a room, but I was in there every day writing notes. It was a great experience.”
Mike T has a new one for all of us. When a reporter asked why Tomlin played his starters in the preseason, he said, “I just think it’s difficult to box without sparring.”
As you probably know, O’Connell’s Vikings will enter their Week 1 bout with the not-so-mighty Tampa Bay Buccaneers without sparring. They didn’t play their starters in the preseason and lost all three games. Mike Zimmer would be turning over in his grave if he were dead. John Harbaugh’s league-record 24-straight preseason win record feels like a trivial pursuit.
Some coaches believe their team should try to win every time they wear the uniform. Others believe in the primal notion that the only way to get ready for a combat sport is to take a hit before the season starts. Ultimately, the Vikings feel the risk of injury outweighs simulated game action under the bright lights. They acknowledge that players can change their behavior in preseason games. However, they believe their joint practices with the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals were enough to prepare their starters.
Playing starters in the preseason isn’t completely outmoded, and there are circumstances where it makes sense. But an injury to Justin Jefferson, Kirk Cousins, or Danielle Hunter could derail Minnesota’s season. Furthermore, they start the preseason with 90 players and can only keep 53. The preseason is the time to see what they have in Ivan Pace Jr., Ty Chandler, and Lewis Cine.
It’s a change from the previous four-preseason-game model, where teams used the third game as a “dress rehearsal.” It also might make getting a ticket to joint practices at TCO Performance Center in Eagan a more inviting purchase. Ultimately, the importance of preseason ticket sales pales in comparison to the importance of keeping players healthy for a 17-game season.
“There’s an argument to be made on both sides,” Cousins said when a reporter asked about the merits of playing in the preseason. “You’ve got to be ready [for] Week 1 regardless.”
O’Connell didn’t play his starters in the preseason last year, and the Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 23-7 in Week 1. The meaningless Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears was the only other game they won by multiple scores last season. Minnesota got the Packers at home in Week 1, but it was still a statement win for O’Connell in his first year as head coach. Of course, the Philadelphia Eagles beat them 24-7 on Monday Night Football the following week. But it’s hard to attribute that to preseason preparation.
“I continue to go back to last year, Week 1, I think was a surprise to me with how well it went,” Cousins added. “There was a lot that was brand new, and we went out there as if we had been together [for] 10 years.”
The Vikings get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1. Vegas has Minnesota favored by six points, and ESPN gives them a 70% chance to win. It’s not exactly a fourth preseason game, but the Vikings aren’t playing Green Bay in their first game, either. It’s also a must-win. Minnesota plays in Philadelphia, against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Carolina Panthers on the road, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Vikings’ starters will enter this gauntlet without playing in live action but also fully healthy. Put another way, they believe they can box without sparring.
