Oct 6, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches from the sidelines against the New York Jets in the second half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Ben Johnson and the Detroit Lions offense could have discovered Brian Flores’ defense’s weak point on Sunday. Matt LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan, two of the league’s top play-callers this season, have been outschemed by the Minnesota Vikings defense. It is still important to be concerned that Johnson might have figured out the code.
After a loss, a brief week can be advantageous. When you have to get back on the horse in three days, you do not have as much time to linger. But will Flores have enough time to fix what the Lions revealed in a game against another outstanding play-caller like Sean McVay?
The post-snap coverages are fairly typical, but Flores’ pre-snap disguises and blitz packages are nothing short of insane. Many Tampa 2, Cover 2, Quarters, and Palms. Minnesota has more two-high coverages than any other team in the league. That results from stressing short, fast throws and limiting big plays. Although the deceit only buys you a second or two, the rapid pressure and misdirection induce quick throws.
The quarterback’s reads become rather simple if the opposing offensive line can stop the blitz or handle the unconventional four-man pressures.
Although their offensive line is excellent, the Lions did not take any chances in their planning to stop Minnesota’s pressure. To gain a bit more time, they frequently kept a tight end and/or running back in pass protection. However, these looks alone are insufficient to defeat Minnesota. When the defense aligns and detects a possible maximum protection, they can make adjustments. To avoid this chance and guarantee that Johnson had the pen last, the Lions gestured another blocker into the protection right before the snap.
When combined with a pressure play with six or more players, such as the touchdown play to Amon-Ra St. Brown, it If McVay were to try this on Thursday night, I would not be shocked. I do not think it would be too difficult for the Los Angeles Rams to implement because they already use a lot of wide receiver motion to help with the run game and to get rid of front-side edge players. Will Flores have a counter, I wonder? His players have the intelligence to look into other responsibilities. A player assigned to blitz on the initial play call may drop at the last second if the Rams motion another blocker into protection, much like when the slide-side edge rusher lowers into coverage when the Vikings show cover 0.Because of the numerous offensive line injuries they have suffered this season, the Rams have frequently had to max protect. When they use three-man route combinations, they have had some success, and Flores is undoubtedly analyzing some of their instances of running Dagger out of these looks. When it comes to throwing the intermediate pass over the middle, Matthew Stafford is exceptional. He is more than happy to take a hit and hold the ball for a few additional seconds in order to give his receivers more space beyond the linebackers. This game might be tighter than it needs to be if the Vikings do not come up with fresh responses this week to these kinds of ideas.In contrast to Detroit has earlier opponents, Flores’ defense stood up very well on Sunday, even though it felt like the Lions dominated the Vikings thanks to a few spectacular runs. It is no minor accomplishment to hold the Lions to a rushing success rate of 29.6%. Harrison Phillips was a standout run defense player, as was to be expected. With the Rams’ interior reduced to its third center option, he might have a field day.
The Rams have a potent rushing assault as well, however it differs from Detroit’s. LA’s assault lacks an explosive component but is steady and plodding. They rank 30th in explosive runs, 27th in rush yards per play, and 24th in yards before contact per rush, while having the second-highest success percentage in the NFL.
Compared to Jahmyr Gibbs, Kyren Williams’ rushing style is more like David Montgomery’s. On Sunday, they kept Montgomery to 31 yards on nine attempts, with Gibbs accounting for the majority of the huge runs. However, he missed a few snaps because of injuries. The Rams should be in a similar situation to their first five opponents, confined to a perilous position, if Minnesota can stop this run game.
If they do not deal Cooper Kupp first, he should recover from his injury this week, which would greatly benefit the Rams. Although Kupp’s recovery is uncertain, McVay and Stafford set a respectably high bar for this offense that is devoid of backup playmakers. Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson, both from Minnesota, are expected to receive a lot of photos. They are not game-breakers, even though they are functional receivers.
Although they lack the skill to do so often, LA can score a few points and exert the same pressure as Detroit.
Creating pressure with four and varying coverages a little more will be Minnesota’s main strategies. A small amount of single-high never did anyone any harm. Whether it is cover two man or cover one, the Vikings have had some success this season with man coverage. It might be wise to go to a cover 1 double to put a second defender on Kupp and make the secondary and tertiary playmakers beat them since the offense has one significant threat.
Despite the offensive line ailments, the Rams have done a respectable job of avoiding pressure, ranking 14th in terms of pressure rate allowed. Stafford is heavily involved in this. He lacks out-of-pocket mobility, but he still has enough footwork efficiency and creativity to From a talent standpoint, Flores will have a rather stacked deck, so another lackluster defensive showing could be cause for concern. In the end, the coaches and players are aware that this is an important “get-back” game and will surely compete during prime time. To defeat this Vikings club, Sean McVay will need to execute brilliant playcalling and his offense must play flawlessly.
