Every so often the football stars align and a coach is matched with the perfect franchise at the exact moment he is needed.
Such appears to be the case with Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings, pending a slightly greater sample size. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, however, the same circumstances may arise for defensive coordinator Brian Flores and the New England Patriots come 2024.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported in November that Pats governor Robert Kraft would seriously consider firing six-time Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick at the end of the year if New England lost its Week-1o matchup to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany. The Patriots did lose that game and are now 3-11 on the season, which has led to extensive speculation that Belichick is operating as a lame-duck coach.
Flores, a defensive-minded disciple of Belichick who got his start in New England in 2004 and spent 15 years with the organization, will be one of the hotter head coaching prospects this offseason due to the drastic turnaround he has orchestrated for the Vikings defense.
The match is ideal and would allow Flores to get back into the head coaching ranks after a three-year stint with the Miami Dolphins that ended following the 2021 campaign.
“Flores is someone who has both head coaching experience and experience as a member of the Patriots. This is something that most of the other candidates for the potential job opening won’t be able to offer,” Adam Patrick of The Viking Age wrote on Tuesday, December 19. “If New England finally decides to end the legendary tenure of Belichick in 2024, the team hiring Flores as his replacement makes a lot of sense.”
Brian Flores Focused on Strong Finish to Vikings’ Season
GettyMinnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Flores has always presented himself as a man of focus and conviction — the same image he has assumed when addressing questions from the media about his future in the NFL, and particularly with the Vikings.
“I understand the question, I really do,” Flores told reporters on December 6. “My message to our guys yesterday was we’ve got 35 guaranteed days. … I asked them to put everything into these 35 days. I can’t give that message and not heed that message. My focus is on these guys, this team, these next five games because that’s all we really have.”
Flores’ answer leaves open the opportunity that he will interview for other jobs, and potentially leave for one of them, once the season ends. Also in the market for a new head coach will be the Los Angeles Chargers, as well as potentially the Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears — among others.
Vikings Defense Has Made Huge Strides Under Brian Flores
GettyDefensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings own the 7th-ranked scoring defense in the unit’s first season under Flores, allowing 19.2 points per game, according to The Football Database. The team is 13th in overall defense, affording 316 yards per contest.
Flores brought a blitz-heavy scheme to Minnesota, which has led to a career year for pass-rusher Danielle Hunter who has amassed a league-leading 21 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks through 14 games, per Pro Football Reference.
The Vikings’ secondary has also improved markedly under Flores’ leadership, despite a style that often requires man-to-man coverage with less immediate help available if wide receivers beat cornerbacks off the snap.
As a whole, the defense has carried the team over much of the last month, including pitching a shutout against the Raiders in Las Vegas that resulted in a crucial 3-0 victory for the Vikings.
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Analyst Suggests Vikings Could Lose Top Assistant Coach to Patriots in 2024