The Vikings faltered as Brian Flores' defense was torn apart again in the loss to the Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – When you think of Brian Flores' defense, aggression immediately comes to mind. Eight defenders lined up at the line of scrimmage. Pass rushers swallow the quarterback in the pocket. Cornerbacks poke receivers in the chest. At best, defending Flores is hell for 60 Minutes in every way.

When the Vikings' defense has been going well for more than a season now, you can sense that its players are aware of it. They also know how cautious their opponents are and did their best to cheer themselves up before getting off the bus at the stadium. The best comparison is a championship boxer stepping into the ring knowing he is capable of utter destruction.

But the opposite can also be the case. You can feel when Minnesota's defenders notice Are tangible that they no longer feel bulletproof. This was evident late last season and was highlighted again after Thursday night's 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

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The self-confidence bordering on arrogance was gone. After allowing touchdowns, the Vikings defenders returned to the sideline, placed their helmets on the bench and stared longingly at the turf, almost as if they couldn't understand how the magic had disappeared so quickly.

“Very disappointed,” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said.

“It was tough,” added cornerback Shaq Griffin.

“We have to go back to the drawing board,” cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. said.

Last week, The athlete's Jourdan Rodrigue wrote of the Rams' offense: “I can't see an identity, player, ethos or overall strength upon which it is based.”

The return of receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua sped up their attack and the Vikings offered little resistance.

The Rams threw for 279 yards and ran for another 107 yards on Thursday night. Quarterback Matthew Stafford torched Minnesota's zone for four passing touchdowns, and when the Vikings went into man coverage, former Kansas City Chief Demarcus Robinson topped his scoring game with two scores through the air.

Demarcus Robinson Tuddy 🔥 @RamsNFL Take the lead! #MINvsLAR on Prime Video
Will continue to stream #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/szA7hx8ikY

– NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2024

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell was asked after the game about his defense's poor performance, and he focused on the unit's inability to rush the passer to help in coverage – and vice versa.

According to Next Gen Stats, Minnesota recorded just four total pressures and zero sacks against Stafford. According to TruMedia, the Vikings' pressure rate of 11.8 percent was the second-lowest pressure rate in a game this season. Most troubling is the fact that, on average, none of the Vikings' key pass rushers were within four yards of Stafford at the time of their throws, and several Rams receivers were an average distance of more than three yards at the time of their catches.

“If we can get back to playing our football and doing what we know we can do,” safety Cam Bynum said, “it will look like it did in the beginning.”

At the moment, this If does more work than a truck with an oversized load. To understand what Bynum means, you have to understand how Flores' defense has evolved.

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When Flores was tasked with putting together an effective, staffless system tailored to his system in 2023, he took a maximum pressure, maximum coverage approach. If they couldn't line up and play man-to-man, the thinking went, they would have to use another form of deception. The approach worked wonders in the first half of last season, when the unit was saddled with young quarterbacks and an underperforming coaching staff.

The tide turned in the December game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Zac Taylor and quarterback Jake Browning – filling in for the injured Joe Burrow – devised a strategy to penetrate the Vikings' non-traditional coverages in the middle of the field. In subsequent games, the field felt larger as the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers took advantage of the space and averaged 31 points per game in victories over Minnesota.

Improving the defense in 2024 would require personnel improvements. Flores and the Vikings were looking for a versatile edge player like Andrew Van Ginkel, an athletic but physical linebacker like Blake Cashman, a pass rusher with juice like Jonathan Greenard and more experienced man coverage cornerbacks like Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore. Along with safeties Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus and Bynum, as well as run-stopping specialists Phillips and Jonathan Bullard, these new additions quickly developed an almost unimaginable chemistry within five weeks.

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Flores still mostly stayed away from man coverage, but the Vikings added another pitch to their maximum pressure, maximum coverage strategy by offering a different type of zone coverage, leaving four defenders up the middle and two deep . Pass rushers applied pressure. Van Ginkel and Cashman narrowed the space in the middle of the field. The four full-backs prevented passes from flying over their heads. Phillips, Bullard and Jerry Tillery stopped the run. Flores' defense played aggressively and opponents like Brock Purdy, CJ Stroud and Aaron Rodgers were put through hell trying to penetrate them.

The Vikings' first five opponents averaged just over 15 points per game and 4.8 yards per play. The last two averaged over 30 points per game and 6.4 yards per play.

“We're starting to notice a lot of teams doing the same thing we saw last week (in a 31-29 loss to Detroit),” Griffin said. “We’ll probably see it the rest of the year if we don’t stop it.”

What were the similar themes in the way Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Rams head coach Sean McVay attacked Minnesota's defense over the last two weeks? Throw the ball quickly into the flats. Overloading a page with recipients to cause confusion and force additional communication. Defend creatively when the Vikings appear to be bringing six or more pass rushers. Use tempo to prevent the Vikings from changing personnel groupings or making checks at the line of scrimmage. And perhaps most concerning (because it feels like déjà vu), the analysis of the Vikings' defensive middle.

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The main reason for these problems was Cashman's absence due to a turf toe injury. Without him on the field, the Vikings would have allowed 8.4 yards per pass attempt, which ranks worst in the NFL. With him on the field, the Vikings have given up just 6.4 yards per pass attempt, which would put them in the top five. The 28-year-old could return as early as Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts, and Flores and Co. would welcome him with open arms.

Another factor in the Vikings' defensive decline could be the sheer number of snaps their key defenders have played so far. Minnesota had averaged about 66 defensive snaps per game before Thursday night. Against the Rams, the Vikings again played 66 defensive snaps, but the offense was only on the field 50 times. A lack of energy in a short week may have impacted the run-stopping unit and the pass rush, but even as the Vikings persuaded the Rams on third downs, the defensive backs were deemed too clutch. Minnesota was whistled for nine penalties for 50 yards, including three for third-down misses by Stafford that led to first downs.

“I'm sure we'll all view the film with a very critical eye,” Phillips said.

Perhaps most alarming was the way the Rams exploited the Vikings' strategy in the second half. On Stafford's first touchdown to Robinson in the third quarter, the Vikings were in man coverage and Robinson hit Griffin. On Stafford's second touchdown to Robinson, in the fourth, the Vikings reverted to their maximum pressure, maximum coverage approach (they dropped eight), and Robinson beat Smith on a corner route.

Demarcus Robinson x2! Another TD for the experienced WR#MINvsLAR on Prime Video
Will continue to stream #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/WnqsIzGuxF

– NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2024

After such a loss, the worries are many. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw left the game just before halftime with a left knee injury and the Vikings fear he could miss more playing time. At times the offensive rhythm was doomed to failure by self-inflicted penalties. Minnesota doesn't have a viable running back behind Aaron Jones. And the veteran players' awkward mishaps continued when Jalen Nailor fell into the red zone on third down.

All Vikings then seemed to break the spiral. Smith dressed slowly and stopped to talk to Lance Bennett, Flores' longtime confidant and the Vikings' defensive coach, before leaving the locker room. The 35-year-old defensive leader appeared to be looking for a way to regain the swagger that made this season so entertaining in the first place.