Kirk Cousins was perplexed playing against the Minnesota Vikings’ new-look defense in training camp. It wasn’t the first time he had seen something like it. Still, there was a learning curve he would have to overcome.
“That family of defense has caused a lot of people problems, and it’s because it puts a lot of stress on the quarterback on the other side post-snap,” Kevin O’Connell explained. “[It] puts a lot of stress on the communication of the offense to make sure they are able to play within the framework once that ball is snapped.
“That’s where you really have to define the detail as an offense. That’s what I love about practicing against it every day. It forces us to learn what we’re capable of and what we’re doing instead of just taking advantage of every look we see pre-snap.”
No, this wasn’t Brian Flores’ perplexing scheme. We’re talking about Ed Donatell’s Vic Fangio-inspired defense in 2022.
It’s hard to remember Donatell’s defense in a positive light, given that Mike White and the New York Jets broke it in Week 14. Six weeks later, Daniel Jones threw for 301 yards and rushed for 78, and the 9-7-1 New York Giants eliminated the Vikings in the Wild Card game. Still, there was legitimate excitement about Donatell because he had worked with Fangio before the Vikings hired him.
Fangio continues to confuse opposing quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes finished with an 11.5 quarterback rating in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes threw two picks, including a pick-six to rookie Cooper DeJean. Philadelphia’s defense never blitzed but held the Chiefs to 23 yards in the first half and sacked Mahomes three times for 13 yards.
Philadelphia led 24-0 at halftime, and Jalen Hurts’ 46-yard bomb to DeVonta Smith with 2:40 left in the third sealed the game. Mahomes tacked on three touchdowns late, but the first came after the Eagles went up 34-0 on Smith’s touchdown. It was also Kansas City’s first play in Philadelphia territory.
Fangio’s defense confused the league’s best quarterback. Philadelphia’s front four sacked Mahomes six times for 31 yards and hit him 11 times. Because of the pressure the front four generated, the Eagles could drop seven players into coverage, creating sticky coverage and challenging reads.
A Fangio assistant may become a hot commodity in a copycat league this offseason. Given that the Eagles will keep Fangio, teams will try to get the next best thing by bringing in someone who sat in meeting rooms with him.
Under different circumstances, that would be Donatell.
“Everything Vic and I poured into this defense since we first came together in San Francisco in 2011 is engineered to make life difficult for the best player in the game, the quarterback,” Donatell said in September 2022.
“We led the league in interceptions [27] and takeaways [36] in 2018. We set our group up with Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, and those guys, and they took us to another step. Everyone has talent. It’s how you present it. It’s the way you position your men. It’s the shell disguise.”
Donatell, 68, hasn’t coached in the NFL since the Vikings fired him in 2022, and teams likely won’t call him this offseason. Still, Donatell had his illusion of complexity and coached under one of the league’s best defensive coordinators. In retrospect, there was some logic in hiring him.
However, the Vikings have moved on from Donatell’s shell defense, opting for Flores’ blitz-happy scheme. Flores, 43, is closer in age to O’Connell, 39. The New England Patriots hired Flores in 2004, and he met O’Connell when they drafted him in 2008.
Flores is qualified to be an NFL head coach. However, his pending lawsuit against the league and alleged treatment of Tua Tagovailoa in Miami likely have kept teams from hiring him. He will probably wait for a supportive ownership group to offer him a job, knowing the importance of a stable organization.
The Vikings must have a sound contingency plan for when that day comes. As they’ve learned, just because someone is coached by a great defensive coordinator doesn’t mean they can run a proficient defense.
