The Vikings’ DC Conducts a Campaign of Psychological Warfare in Week 2

Caleb Williams isn’t necessarily going to be scared. Neither is Ben Johnson. Both are going to be aware, though.

In Week 1 the Vikings defensive coordinator threw caution to the wind. Brian Flores boasts the nickname The Mad Scientist. He blitzed Jordan Love a stunning 78.3% of the time. Consider the precise insight from NFL Next Gen Stats: “The Vikings blitzed Jordan Love on 78.3% of his dropbacks, the fourth-highest rate by a defense in a game since at least 2018. After allowing 189 yards and 2 TD when blitzing in the first half, Minnesota recorded 4 sacks and an INT on second-half blitzes.”

The Vikings’ DC is Leaning into Psychological Warfare

Part of the secret sauce with Coach Flores is that he’s willing to roll the dice.

Opting for the blitz is a classic case of stealing from Peter to pay for Paul. Every +1 that’s moving forward to chase the passer is a -1 for the coverage effort. Usually, defensive coordinators show some restraint within the aggression due to the trade off that’s inherent to sending guys forward. Every team has eleven players, meaning that all that’s up for debate is which direction they’ll be heading.

But then there’s the willingness of the Vikings’ DC to get ultra frisky. By necessity, The Windy City Bears must be taking note lest they get walloped.

Every offense schemes for how to handle pressure. On a weekly basis, quarterbacks and offensive callers need to build pressure-release valves into the plays. The Bears will be no different. Does Ben Johnson have enough tips and tricks in his back pocket to equip Williams with the answers to the test?

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Part of what’s taking place in Chicago is some unique game planning. Right now, the brain trust is searching for blocking solutions to account for the variety of blitzes that are coming. Seeing Minnesota come up on the schedule means needing to ensure that all of the details are precise and understood across the board. Even a single offensive lineman not getting the memo on the protection call could lead to the young passer getting hit hard.

In the past, Brian Flores has reflected on his experience coaching on offense. He boasts first-hand knowledge of what goes into prepping for an attacking defense. He has taken that insight and ran with it in his time as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator. What sets him apart is his willingness to push things to unusual extremes within his willingness to blitz.

In football, coaches will seek to figure out a weakness in the opposition. The plan will then involve exploiting that weakness until the other side proves capable of offering a solution.

The Vikings did precisely that in Week 1, letting Dallas Turner go berserk as he hunted down Jordan Love throughout the game. So, too, did linebacker Blake Cashman get tasked with pinning his ears back to chase down Green Bay’s quarterback. Other Vikings — Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jalen Redmond, Eric Wilson, Andrew Van Ginkel — had nice moments, as well.

Tossed together, the Vikings had an attacking mindset that proved difficult to shutdown across the whole game.

The Bears boast better talent on offense than the Packers. Ben Johnson boasts more creativity than Matt LaFleur. Are these realities going to be enough to get the better of a Brian Flores defense that’s going to be undaunted by getting burned a time or two?

The Week 2 game takes place on Sunday, September 20th. Expect most prophets and pundits to insist that the Bears are the team to beat. The Vikings’ defense will be looking to have a say on the issue.

Coming off a wildly aggressive Sunday, the Vikings will be hoping that Chicago is already burning the midnight oil trying to crack the code on the challenge to come.

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