Brian Flores to get another shot as head coach? Why many around NFL are optimistic about Vikings DC’s chances

One week after stifling one of the best play-callers in the NFL, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is tasked with doing the same to one of the league’s best up-and-coming play-callers Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Flores seems to have the key to beating Kyle Shanahan considering the Vikings are the only NFC team to beat the 49ers in a meaningful game since last season, and they’ve done so twice. Now he faces Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, from the Shanahan coaching tree himself, in a matchup of two 2-0 teams on CBS.

The Vikings have one of the best defenses in the league early in the season, and any sustained success would typically lead to the defensive coordinator getting head-coaching interviews. But before that potentially happens, the former Miami Dolphins head coach faces questions about his relationship with his old quarterback while also still serving as a plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit against the NFL.

I talked with 10 sources across the league and various teams and levels about Flores. What makes him such a good coordinator, whether he should get another opportunity to be a head coach and, more importantly, whether he actually will get another shot.

Vikings stats

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Vikings lead the NFL in sacks (11) and quarterback hits (19) while being tied for the league lead in pressures with 36.

When talking about top-of-league numbers and Flores, you’d expect a high blitz rate. But these Vikings are blitzing on just a third of dropbacks so far, well down from the 50.7% rate that led the league in 2023.

With a blanket caveat that we are barely a tenth of the way through the season, the Vikings are third in points allowed after facing the Giants and the 49ers. Still, with a blitz rate cut by nearly 20 percentage points, the Vikings are getting better pressure than last year (38.7% this year compared to…

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Author : Jonathan Jones

Publish date : 2024-09-21 11:00:34

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