Brian Flores should have options as Vikings' defensive coordinator nears free agency
Flores' stock should be rising after the Vikings forced six turnovers and gave up only 10 points in beating the Detroit Lions on Thursday.
There was one pending free agent who increased his value during the Vikings’ 23-10 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions on Thursday, despite the fact he did not play a snap. Brian Flores’ game plan was enough to make a significant impression in a nationally televised Christmas Day game on Netflix.
While Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer finished with 3 net yards passing, Flores’ defense kept quarterback Jared Goff and the Lions offense guessing all game. The Vikings had six takeaways, limited Detroit to 68 yards rushing and sacked Goff five times. Goff fumbled three times, losing all of them, and threw two interceptions.
The veteran quarterback’s touchdown pass in the second quarter ended the Vikings’ streak of not surrendering a scoring pass at six consecutive games. That was one shy of the NFL record for the Super Bowl era. The 1988 Browns, 1976 Steelers and 1972 Packers went seven consecutive games without giving up a touchdown pass.
The Lions’ offensive line has issues, but this was a big-time performance against a team that remained alive in the playoff race until the Vikings beat them. The Lions entered the game sixth in the NFL in total offense (369.4 yards per game), fourth in passing (249.5 yards) and scoring (28.9 points). But the Lions only got into the end zone once as the Vikings won their fourth consecutive game.
The Vikings have given up 12.3 points per game during that stretch and will move up from the 10th spot in scoring defense they held entering Thursday. The Vikings also were fifth in total defense and third against the pass.
Flores’ work could get him head coaching interviews after the season — he talked to the Bears, Jets and Jaguars last offseason — but his lawsuit against the NFL over civil claims that he and other Black coaches face discrimination is ongoing. Flores also was coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did Flores no favors by calling him a “terrible person” in a 2024 interview.
But all indications are guys on the defensive side of the ball like playing for Flores, and he certainly seems to get the most out of them.
Because his contract with the Vikings expires after the season, the 44-year-old assistant can field offers from teams that might want to pay him handsomely to become their defensive coordinator. A team like the Dallas Cowboys could make a lot of sense for Flores, and the fact there is no salary cap on what assistants can be paid would be to his benefit.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Vikings hope to work out a deal to keep Flores, but that doesn’t mean he won’t want to see what else might be out there. The Vikings have a lot of question marks heading into the offseason, including whether they are going to keep J.J. McCarthy as their starter or have a competition for the job with a veteran pushing McCarthy.