NFL Winners and Losers: Vikings are 3-0, and Brian Flores’ defense might be biggest reason

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has his unit off to a hot start this season. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

It’s hard to say the Minnesota Vikings have the best coaching staff in the NFL. Andy Reid still hasn’t retired, after all.

But they’re not far off.

The Minnesota Vikings moved to 3-0 this season and what they’re doing is remarkable. The Vikings were expected to finish last in the NFC North, and they used the 10th overall pick on quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who won’t play a snap this season. Without any contribution from their top-10 draft pick, the Vikings have won three in a row with a couple of high quality wins. They beat the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 and then got a 34-7 win over the Houston Texans in Week 3. Both teams are likely to be division champions and Super Bowl contenders by the end of the year.

We’ll see where the Vikings’ path leads them this season, and it also will be interesting to see what becomes of Brian Flores.

Flores’ defense is a huge factor in the Vikings’ start. The 49ers had seven points through three quarters at Minnesota last week. The Texans were shut out in the first half. Houston finally got on the board with 3:56 left in the third quarter, after Minnesota had run out to a 21-0 lead. The Vikings probably don’t have top-five talent on defense but are playing like a top-five unit. That’s coaching.

If Flores was any other defensive coordinator, producing results like this, he’d be one of the top early candidates for a head-coaching job next offseason. But we know it’s a little more complicated than that. Flores had a rocky time with the Miami Dolphins, including new criticism this year over his handling of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit against the league will be a story as teams look into perhaps giving him an interview. It would be hard to deny Flores the chance, based on his work with the Vikings’ defense. We’ll see what happens, but his success in Minnesota is…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-22 20:10:49

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