Throughout the 2023 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores got as creative as anyone in the league to keep his defense afloat. In a year where his team lacked high-end talent at corner and interior defensive line, “B-Flo” crafted the most unique defense in the NFL.
Flores’ defense led the league in five-man, six-man, and seven-man pressures while often crowding the line of scrimmage with as many as eight potential pass-rushers to confound opposing quarterbacks. Flores’ strategy precluded his secondary from having to stick in coverage for too long. His defensive backs played mostly off-zone coverage, lining up seven or more yards from the line of scrimmage so as not to lose the rep early.
The scheme funneled as many throws as possible to the flats, which allowed a flawed secondary group to rely on instinct, watching the ball and triggering down to tackle. Perhaps the most crucial element to the scheme’s success was the safety trio of Josh Metellus (who led all NFL safeties in blitzes and pressures), Harrison Smith, and Camryn Bynum, who are all returning.
So, why not do that again this season?
With the offseason Minnesota has had, he may not need to. Pressure is the name of the game. The quicker the opposing quarterback has to get rid of the ball, the better your cornerbacks look.
Given the injuries and tragedies that have befallen the secondary, the defense is in a similar spot to 2023. However, some meaningful personnel differences will influence Flores’ strategy in 2024. Last year, Minnesota’s defensive front boasted one elite player around whom opposing teams consistently game-planned: Danielle Hunter. According to ESPN’s tracking data, Hunter faced double-teams at a 21% rate (ninth highest in the league for his position).
Still, he would’ve seen even more if Flores wasn’t constantly forcing opposing teams into man, one-on-one protection by sending extra rushers. Hunter signed with the Houston Texans in the offseason. Still, a more balanced rush, including newcomers Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Dallas Turner, will allow Flores to call more four-man pressures and play it safer on the back end. The versatility of this group, especially when you include free-agent signing Blake Cashman’s capability as a pass-rusher from the linebacker spot, could also make it even easier to disguise pressure.
New Defensive Weapons
Flores spent time with Van Ginkel in Miami. In 2023, Van Ginkel logged a 90.6 PFF pass-rushing grade, with six sacks and 53 pressures. He is a versatile pass-rusher who the Vikings can use at many positions across the front seven. That will be a theme this year.
Jonathan Greenard is coming off a career year in Houston and has swapped places with Hunter. He played in 15 games (a career-high) and racked up 12.5 sacks (also a career-high). He’s not as big and not the level of player Hunter is, but few are. The good news is that the Vikings can probably only aim to replace Danielle in the aggregate.
After the Vikings only needed to trade up one spot to secure J.J. McCarthy, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was able to scratch his trade itch by moving up from 23 to 17 to secure edge rusher Dallas Turner out of Alabama. Some experts deemed him the best defensive player in the 2023 draft. Flores likened the 6’4” 245 lbs. defender to Dont’a Hightower, a crucial piece of B-Flo’s 2018 Super Bowl-winning defense in New England. That suggests we may see Turner rushing from the A and B gaps and maybe even from a traditional linebacker spot.
Former Golden Gopher linebacker Blake Cashman became a good NFL starter last season under DeMeco Ryans in Houston. His length and speed for the position allow him to cover a lot of ground laterally, and he’s a sure tackler when he arrives at the ball. Cashman is also sure to see more pass-rush snaps in Minnesota, and he will immediately be a big upgrade over Jordan Hicks in coverage right away.
Positionless Defense
Last season, Josh Metellus played every position except for the defensive tackle. Metellus made plays at deep safety, nickel corner, linebacker, or off the edge. When Metellus’ teammates named him captain in the preseason last year, we all thought he’d just be the special teams captain. However, he proved to be the queen on Brian Flores’ chessboard, playing over 94% of defensive snaps for the Purple. Like Harrison Smith, who played 98.4% of defensive snaps at age 34, his varied skill set is the crux of many pre-snap disguises.
The Vikings have acquired some true pass rushers who provide the same versatility across the defensive front. Van Ginkel and Turner are much more adept at dropping into coverage than any of the edge players on Minnesota’s roster last year.
If Flores doesn’t need to spend so much time sending five, six, or seven blitzers to generate pressure, there will be massive development from the cornerback group. He will be comfortable calling more press coverage and leaving safety help over the top. We could see the likes of Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans play receivers aggressively at the line of scrimmage, something they both did well in college. Byron Murphy Jr. will confidently shadow No. 1 receivers in and out of the slot.
The versatility of defensive personnel is much closer to matching the versatility of Flores’ scheme. He will have more arrows in his quiver. Despite the concerns at corner, I expect Brian Flores’ defense to again be one of the most unpredictable in the league.
