Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has gained a reputation for making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams echoed the sentiments in a press conference earlier this week. Williams knows the challenge ahead in preparing for Flores. Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper reported this.
Bears Star Knows What Vikings DC Can Do
Flores is known to blitz opposing quarterbacks, and that has been his style as defensive coordinator. Opposing quarterbacks are taking note of this, and recognizing the challenge that it presents. The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Jordan Love found that out the hard way last weekend. Now, Williams understands what the defensive coordinator can do, and how he can incorporate his style.
“It’s a game-plan defense. He’s gonna game plan from first snap to last snap,” Williams said. “Coach calls this ‘mental war’ when you go against versus him. That’s what it is. You’ve got to be able to go out there bad things are going to happen, bad things are gonna happen. You’ve got to be able to fight back and stay steady. That’s one of the biggest things is not allowing his defense and all of that to fluster you and get in your mind. That’s one of the first. You stay steady and now it’s time to go make plays and get completions and when the big ones show up, take them and find them.”
The Vikings Brought The Pressure
Looking back at what Flores was able to do against the Packers, he was able to fluster the offensive line. In addition, he is able to make life difficult for Jordan Love. He blitzed on 40-of-46 total dropbacks. The Vikings blitzed early and often. In the first half alone, Love was pressured on 12-of-15 dropbacks. That was an 83% rate.
The pressure did not stop once the first half concluded. The defense finished the game with a 52.8% pressure rate, four sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and two forced turnovers. It was evident that the Vikings defense wanted to make Love uncomfortable, and they definitely did that. Although the game ended up being a high-scoring affair, the defense was able to set the tone early and often.
If there was one downside to this, it’s the total number of yards the Packers were able to gain. They passed for 387 total yards and two touchdowns against the pressure. That being said, the metrics still worked in the Vikings’ favor. Love only completed 50% of his passes and had an 88.1 quarterback rating. It seemed as though they were willing to have the defense bend a bit in order to get pressure on the quarterback.
Williams had a tremendous opening game against the Carolina Panthers. He went 21-of-29 on the day, throwing for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Williams will undoubtedly be a step up from what the Vikings had to face last week. The Bears offense was explosive in their own right, as they defeated the Panthers by a 59-37 margin. Now, the Vikings have an opportunity to shut down Williams. If they can do that, they will undoubtedly make a statement not only to the NFC North, but to the rest of the NFL.
Vikings’ Rival Sounds Off on Brian Flores’ ‘Mental War’ Defense