Inside Vikings' 3-0 begin: The 'loopy' defensive scheme of Brian Flores

“The scheme, man, it is loopy.”

These were the words of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores throughout on-field handshakes moments after Minnesota’s 23-17 win over San Francisco in Week 2. 

Primarily, Purdy’s nod to Flores was the final word praise an opposing quarterback can provide to the defensive coordinator. 

Whereas the third-year passer threw for 319 yards at 8.9 yards per try in opposition to Flores’ scheme, a lot of that productiveness got here throughout rubbish time. Excluding that rubbish time, Purdy had an EPA per drop again of -0.390, which was the sixth-lowest of all groups in Week 2. Briefly, very atypical for a Purdy-Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers offense. 

Perplexing one of many league’s most synergistic coach-quarterback duos was an accomplishment in its personal proper for Flores and the Vikings. However this wasn’t an anomaly. In Week 3, the Vikings protection rocked C.J. Stroud and the Texans stellar receiver trio of Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell en path to a 34-7 Minnesota victory. 

In that contest, Houston’s offense managed a meager -0.256 EPA per drop again, the eighth-lowest in soccer for the week. 

These back-to-back seismic performances from the Vikings protection despatched me to the “movie room” — my workplace off my kitchen. And whereas it is a lot simpler for me to kind this from stated workplace than it was for Purdy to face it dwell, I can attest — the Vikings’ scheme is certainly loopy. 

Let’s dive in. The world of Flores’ scheme is fascinating.

The Flores protection is flourishing, permitting 10 level per recreation … what if the unit permits simply 16 factors per recreation the remainder of the season? SportsLine Knowledge Scientist Stephen Oh breaks it down. 

I am going to begin right here — completely on-brand, Flores has known as essentially the most blitzes (50) on drop backs of any protection by means of three weeks, and the Vikings’ 39.5% blitz price, ranks third within the NFL. As an entire, Minnesota is eleventh in pressure-creation price at 37.5%. 

Flores totally embraces his blitz-heavy philosophy. His Vikings unit led the league in blitz price at 50.7% in 2023. Because the Dolphins head coach, Flores’ protection was first in blitz price in in 2021 and second in 2020. He loves bringing the warmth greater than any defensive play-caller in soccer. Clearly. 

Naturally, somebody as blitz-happy as Flores has quite a lot of blitzes in his rolodex. Examine this disguised blitz in opposition to Purdy and the 49ers. This isn’t a easy five-man rush, though it seems like one earlier than the snap, and that is key. 

Discover all that pre-snap and post-snap motion from the Vikings? Flores sometimes retains as lots of his back-seven gamers in movement as doable earlier than the snap. And a Vikings blitz hardly ever comes from what seems to be the almost certainly defender. 

Even when it does occur, prefer it did right here in opposition to the 49ers, Flores brilliantly blends coverages. 

The overhang linebacker on the high of the display screen right here is the additional rusher, making this a five-man blitz. However notice the blended zone protection within the secondary. It results in a nasty determination from Purdy, who’s proved to be a lightning-quick processor and astute decision-maker. 

Cowl 4 plus Cowl 2 = Cowl 6, which wasn’t invented by Flores, but it surely’s a glance the Vikings roll into comparatively typically, significantly once they do not seem like difficult earlier than the snap throughout the entrance seven. Primarily, if a quarterback thinks he is getting a fairly vanilla search for entrance, chances are high Flores will, on the very least, mix the protection.

On that play, even when Purdy obtained to his second learn on the opposite facet of the sector — and the probability was decreased due to the blitz — he would’ve been gazing a special protection with defensive backs finishing up completely different tasks. Not precisely a simple processing job for the mind whereas below duress within the span of, at most, two seconds or so late in a play. 

Flores is sensible. He understands his schematic fame across the league and makes use of that to his benefit on a number of ranges. He is not merely dialing up advanced, unique blitzes each week with shock fifth and sixth rushers to the quarterback. With the blitz on the forefront of the offensive coordinator’s thoughts, Flores is commonly exhibiting blitz, then backing into heavy protection seems, which is the next-level method he is mystifying opposing quarterbacks.

Like right here, on one other incomplete cross thrown by Purdy, watch how this “blitz look” — with six Vikings on the road earlier than the snap — quickly morphs right into a four-man rush. And should you’re a security in Flores’ protection, you are going to get a exercise each recreation, even earlier than chasing receivers in protection. 

On that play, the Vikings went from doubtlessly sending two further defenders to bailing right into a protection by which the unique deep security had duty beneath within the 49ers left flat. This play defines the time period “altering the image” for the opposing quarterback. 

If Purdy observed the rotating safeties a split-second earlier than the snap, his thoughts hardly had any time in any respect to course of the place Minnesota’s pre-snap motion hinted the place he ought to throw the ball. Now, this was only a display screen name to San Francisco’s gifted fullback, however that defensive name from Flores was an amazing illustration of how deep in his bag he’ll go in an try to confuse the passer. 

Flores’ play-calling bag additionally options extra refined, traditional disguises. Like right here in opposition to the Texans. On the snap, this seems like press-man throughout the board. On the snap, it is one thing utterly completely different and … no blitz. 

For as enjoyable and genuinely numerous as Flores’ protection is, respect must be paid to GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for buying the “appropriate” kind of gamers for the protection and, after all, to these gamers throughout the system. 

Cornerback Byron Murphy is the best versatile slot cornerback with elite-level suddenness and short-area pace to shut throwing home windows in a flash in zone. Kamu Grugier-Hill nonetheless has loads of fluidity at linebacker. Newcomer Blake Cashman is a high-caliber athlete with protection chops, and Ivan Pace Jr. is turning into one of many higher blitzing linebackers in soccer. Cameron Bynum has transitioned splendidly from cornerback to security. And 34-year-old Stephon Gilmore provides simply sufficient man-coverage expertise that probably provides Flores extra confidence enjoying much less zone at instances.

Oh yeah, and Harrison Smith remains to be one of many savviest — and bodily gifted — safeties in soccer. There isn’t any telling the place he and Josh Metellus will in the end settle after the snap. They play off one another terribly properly. 

Past what all that athleticism and soccer data within the again seven gives Flores, up entrance, Andrew Van Ginkel can rush the passer from any alignment, set the sting, or sink in brief zones beneath. Jonathan Greenard has been dynamic as Minnesota’s clear-cut No. 1 outdoors rusher. He has two extra pressures — and a barely larger pressure-creation price — than former Vikings edge Danielle Hunter coming into Week 4.  

Flores’ blitzing obsession in and of itself is a heavy carry for coordinators, offensive strains, and quarterbacks each week. Additionally mix the seamless multi-layered communication typically wanted to fight a well-designed and well-executed blitz with the best way Flores creatively reveals a type of blitzes earlier than backing right into a seven-defender protection doubtlessly with completely different coverages on all sides of the sector, and also you shortly perceive why Purdy provided Flores that postgame reward.