After one of the worst defensive seasons in recent memory, the Vikings fired Ed Donatell. One year after he was hired the Vikings are searching for a new defensive coordinator. One of the biggest names of the bunch is Brian Flores, most notably known for his time as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. After turmoil and lawsuits with the Dolphins due to tanking scandals, Flores accepted a job as the senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many teams have requested interviews with Flores due to his well-known ability to call the defense. The Vikings joined that mix.
Flores first came into the league and served under Bill Belichick for 4 years. He learned how to exploit weaknesses and shut down their best players. This was evident in his time with Miami, they were a sound defense that attacked the opponent’s weakness.
Flores’s defenses have been run out of 3-4, with a heavy focus on the shade of the interior lineman to create mismatches and stunt ability. In the past, Flores has blitzed a ton creating pressure on the cornerback to play solid man defense with a little bit of safety help. He is also known for using his best safety to stop the run and blitz.
Flores was the Dolphins coach and defensive play caller for three years, where their defense ranked:
- In 2019: Passing yards per game(21st), Rush yards per game(31st), and Points per game(27th).
- In 2020: Passing yards per game(23rd), Rush yards per game(16th), and Points per game(6th).
- In 2021: Passing yards per game(16th), Rush yards per game(14th), and Points per game(16th).
As you can see over the years their defense got better, this was due to the rebuild happening in Miami and many new and talented players coming there. Brian flores has a good defensive mind and could help the Vikings a lot.
Would Brian Flores Fit?
Flores runs a similar scheme to Ed Donatell with a base unit of 3-4. However Flores brings much more to the table with the ability to execute this defense. Flores has a better mind than Donatell and can get more out of the players than Ed did. There a still some cause for concern. With the heavy pressure put on the cornerbacks in Flores scheme, the Vikings would need to add more players to that group.
The only cornerbacks currently under contract are:
- Cam Dantzler
- Andrew Booth
- Akayleb Evans
This is one of the VIkings top areas in need. If they plan to bring in a coach like Flores, they will need better corners and more depth to make the scheme work. I believe that if the Vikings want to make this defense better, they will try and sign Brian Flores. He can uplift this unit and change the narrative behind the Vikings defense.
