Well, at Least the Vikings Recognize the Problem.
Some fans couldn’t quite shake the Minnesota Vikings’ playcalling in overtime at the Cincinnati Bengals. The club fired up back-to-back unsuccessful sneaks at Paycor Stadium, dooming the team’s chances of winning and sending the win-loss record to 7-7 on the year.
That was the popular talking point, usually in capital letters: “Why didn’t they do something other than a quarterback sneak?”
Well, at Least the Vikings Recognize the Problem
But the real problem, quarterback sneaks be damned, was Minnesota’s defensive meltdown.
The Vikings snatched a 17-3 road lead to start the 4th Quarter and proceeded to allow back-to-back-to-back scoring drives to the Bengals, spanning 70+ yards on each occasion. It was a collapse, plain and simple.
Thankfully, for the team and its fans’ sake, defensive coordinator Brian Flores acknowledges the problem. He owned his defensive culpability this week, assuredly not finger-pointing at quarterback sneaks like many fans.
“They certainly made some plays down the field on some things that were contested catches. I think down the stretch, especially in that end-of-game, two-minute, four-minute, that mode, we’ve gotta do a better job of finishing games. That’s something I really take personal responsibility for. I’ve gotta coach it better, I gotta put our guys in better positions,” Flores told reporters on Wednesday, four days before the Vikings host the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
This attribute — reducing defensive aggression — is a trend for Brian Flores-led defenses late in games. The Vikings hired Flores in February, a few weeks after cutting ties with Ed Donatell, who defensively coordinated the Vikings for one season. The hire was remarkable. Flores turned around a leaky defense in mere months.
That doesn’t erase the sins of the 4th Quarter, though. Minnesota has infamously squandered late-game leads versus the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears this season, seeming to take a foot off the gas. The Flores defense that risks everything during Quarters 1 through 3 tends to embrace conservatism down the stretch of ball games.
Flores mentioned falling into zone coverage at Cincinnati, “As a play-caller, there’s things you can call to take that away. If you take that away, then you’re giving up something else. Especially in those kind of situations, I’ve got to do a better job of putting our guys in position to take that one away.”
Here are the situational Flores numbers in the last few seasons:
Brian Flores Defense,
EPA/Play Ranking,
Since 2019:
2023 —
Quarters 1 thru 3: 6th
4th Quarter & OT: 16th
2021 —
Quarters 1 thru 3: 5th
4th Quarter & OT: 18th
2020 —
Quarters 1 thru 3: 6th
4th Quarter & OT: 11th
2019 —
Quarters 1 thru 3: 31st
4th Quarter & OT: 32nd
So, as of December 20th, Flores knows the problem. Maybe he’ll even fix it.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.