Brian Flores Set a Great Standard for Vikings Defense
On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings showed off their new veteran quarterback, Sam Darnold. Of course, that was going to be the storyline of the weekend. However, Brian Flores’ defense generated headlines of its own, and the group looked legit.
Brian Flores Set a Great Standard for Vikings’ Defense
Let’s be honest. The New York Giants are not good and no one should expect them to be. Daniel Jones is mediocre at best, and outside of Malik Nabers, he has no one to throw the ball to. That doesn’t mean that Brian Flores could afford for his defense to overlook the opponent and sleepwalk into the contest.
While questions remained regarding the secondary and the turnover at the pass-rushing position, it’s hard not to be thrilled by what the Vikings showed. New edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel was a menace. He recorded his first sack for Minnesota, gobbled up a pass to the flats, and walked it into the end zone for a pick-six. Rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner recorded his first professional sack and tacked on a tackle for loss.
Minnesota kept New York out of the end zone by allowing just six points on the afternoon. Veteran safety Harrison Smith picked off Jones in the end zone, and the Vikings forced the Giants into field goals on multiple occasions. The cornerback group held up well, and Byron Murphy Jr. led the unit in tackles.
Flores has long been regarded as among the best defensive coordinators in the league. It was surprising that he didn’t get another shot at a head coaching job during the offseason. That said, the outcome was a massive boost to the Vikings, and being able to employ such a talented coordinator for at least another year benefits Kevin O’Connell.
The Vikings will have a much tougher test with the San Francisco 49ers coming to town on Sunday, but Flores will enjoy what the tape shows. If the defensive unit can build off their first effort and find a way to gameplan for Brock Purdy and his weapons, they could knock off Kyle Shanahan’s team for the second season in a row.
The Giants were a soft landing spot for Minnesota, but the defensive unit did everything it needed to capitalize on the opportunity.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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