Brian Flores has improved the Minnesota Vikings despite an 0-2 start

The hiring of defensive coordinator Brian Flores could be the reason the Minnesota Vikings end up having a successful season despite narrowly losing their first two games of the season.

In week one against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Vikings defense allowed just 29 yards of total offense on the Buccaneers’ six open possessions. That game could have been over at halftime if the Minnesota Vikings hadn’t turned the ball over three times in critical areas of the field.

Brian Flores’ defense was as advertised. They were chasing the quarterback, sending blitzes from different players and making it difficult for the opposing offense to deal with. In the second half, however, quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers offense had a little more joy, but for the most part, the Vikings defense was in control of that game.

It was a similar story in week two on the road against one of the NFC favorites, the Philadelphia Eagles. The Minnesota Vikings defense was suffocating Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense, especially in the passing game.

However, allowing over 250 rushing yards cannot be overlooked, which is certainly an area of ​​improvement for Brian Flores’ defensive unit. The Eagles offensive line had their way with the Vikings and started to look like men against boys.

Even with the Eagles outscoring the Vikings at will, Minnesota still had a chance to win the game. Mental mistakes, penalties and turnovers are why the Vikings aren’t here at 2-0.

The Minnesota Vikings showed that they could measure up to the conference’s greats. The Vikings lost by less than a score after turning the ball over four times, giving up points to the Eagles in the process.

Once this team starts playing complementary football and stops turning the ball over, they will be a very good team that can compete with anyone in the NFC.

• Published on 09/16/2023 at 11:31 amEDT
• Last updated on 09/16/2023 at 11:31 amEDT