Zulgad: Vikings’ defense getting makeover that will have Brian Flores’ stamp of approval on it
The Minnesota Vikings gave up 30 points a game during a four-game losing streak to close the season, but that shouldn’t have taken away from what Brian Flores did in his first season coordinating the team’s defense.
The Vikings showed significant improvement in several key categories, moving from 31st to 16th in total defense (56.6 fewer yards per game); 31st to 24th in pass defense (31.1 fewer yards); and 20th to eighth in run defense (24.4 fewer yards). The Vikings cut their points surrendered per game average by 3.8, moving from a tie for 28th to a tie for 13th.
Before that disappointing final stretch, the defense had surrendered only 18.6 points per game and had given up more than 20 points in five of 13 games.
What made this even more impressive was how creative Flores was forced to get with his personnel. It was clear from the first springtime practice during Organized Team Activities that Flores was going to do the most with what he had in trying to fix a unit that had struggled under one-and-done coordinator Ed Donatell.
Safety Josh Metellus, previously a backup and special teams ace, was the biggest beneficiary of Flores’ creativity. Metellus was used in a rover role in OTAs and ended up playing 94 percent of the snaps at 12 different positions.
Metellus’ use was only a starting point for Flores. Kevin Seifert of ESPN did a wonderful job of documenting just how innovate the longtime NFL assistant and former Dolphins head coach was in his first year in Minnesota.
One of the most interesting things was how much Flores decided not to use defensive linemen. The Vikings’ play a 3-4 scheme so the pass rushers are counted as linebackers. That meant the Vikings played more snaps without a defensive lineman on the field (180) than any team since at least 2006, according to ESPN Stats & Information. There was another 143 snaps played with only one defensive linemen.
The Vikings made three significant, or what they considered to be significant additions, in free agency last offseason. Defensive lineman Dean Lowry and rush end Marcus Davenport both battled injuries and have moved on. Byron Murphy Jr., who played outside corner in base and inside in the nickel, started 14 games before missing the final three because of injury.
Flores had joined the Vikings about a month before free agency opened in 2023. With a full season in Minnesota, and having a bigger voice in personnel calls, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went to work adding pieces that fit Flores’ vision.
This isn’t to say anyone was glad to see Danielle Hunter depart or that the standout rush end didn’t fit Flores’ scheme. Hunter was coming off a season in which he had 16.5 sacks, but the two-year, $49 million deal he signed with the Houston Texans was more than the Vikings were willing to pay for a player who turns 30 in October.
The Vikings will attempt to replace Hunter, and edge rusher D.J. Wonnum, with free agent additions Jonathan Greenard, 27 in May, and Andrew Van Ginkel. 29 in July. Greenard had a career-high 12.5 sacks last season as he played in a career-high 15 games, and Van Ginkel, who was drafted by the Dolphins when Flores was the coach, had a career-high six sacks in 17 games. He suffered a foot injury in the regular-season finale.
Greenard arrives with injury concerns, but he was attractive to Flores in part because of his success against the run. Van Ginkel was targeted because of Flores’ familiarity with him and also because of his versatility at the linebacker position.
The versatility part is key because of Flores’ desire to create confusion with each snap, but also requires having players who can learn multiple positions.
The Vikings’ other additions on defense who figure to compete for significant playing time include linebacker Blake Cashman (28 in May), cornerback Shaquill Griffin (29 in July), defensive tackle Jerry Tillery (28 in October) and defensive end Jonah Williams (29 in August).
Those four names might not create much excitement among Vikings fans who will continue to focus on the team’s pursuit of a quarterback to replace Kirk Cousins, but it shouldn’t be ignored that Flores’ defense is getting more and more pieces added to it.
Considering the improvement Flores was able to get in 2023 with personnel that didn’t necessarily fit his scheme, the unit should find itself in position to take another significant step in 2024.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com.
