Vikings defense stifles Browns: Lewis Cine, Dwight McGlothern shine in big win

The Minnesota Vikings defense took a big step forward in 2023 after a disastrous 2022 season. They were the 13th ranked team in total defense while ranking 17th in scoring defense. Condisering the Vikigns were the 31st-ranked defense in 2022, it's a stagering improvement.

Things weren't flawless for the Vikings in 2023. They cratered at the end of the season, allowing an average of 30 points per game in the final four games, a stretch in which the Vikings went 0-4 to finish with a record of 7-10.

Improvement on the defensive side of the football will start up front by getting pressure on the quarterback but the secondary needs to play better. They are the focus of the biggest defensive storylines from Saturday's game.

Assistants getting a chance to call plays

The Vikings made a big decision to allow their assistant coaches a chance to call plays. On the offensive side, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips called the plays for the entire game. On defense, Brian Flores decided to split up responsibilities between two assistants.

Defensive backs coach Daronte Jones: calling the defensive plays in the first half
Inside linebackers coach Mike Siravo: calling the defensive plays in the second half

Getting those opportunities is huge for development, especially if and when Flores gets an opportunity to be a head coach somewhere.

Lewis Cine shines

Is it too little too late for Cine? It certainly could be the case. He hasn't exactly had the best career so far. In his first season, Cine played in two defensive snaps before suffering a compound fracture in just week four and followed it up by playing in just eight snaps in 2023.

Cine played the game of his life on Saturday. He was all over the field against the Browns and started to flash the ability that the Vikings believed he had when they drafted him. He registered 10 tackles, a sack and an interception showing range on all three levels. His best play was hitting Browns quarterback Tyler Huntley into the shadow realm when he was slipping. It appeared live to be a slide but it was a legal hit, as Cine hit shoulder to shoulder. It's not a guarantee that Cine will make the roster, but this was a really good first step.

Tackling is poor

The Vikings defense is predicated on aggressiveness and attacking. When you have a defense that focuses their resources on that element of the game, what you need to have from your defense is sound tackling. If you are in a zero look, a missed tackle could cost you 20+ yards or even a long touchdown.

The Vikings tackling was very poor on Saturday afternoon. They were not getting in good position and the Browns offense was able to break through arm tackles with ease. The biggest culprit was Jay Ward. He was putting himself in poor position all night and with Cine's performance, could have put himself in danger of losing a roster spot.

Dwight McGlothern is an emerging star

The cornerback position has been brutal for the Vikings so far this year. They lost Khyree Jackson to a car accident, Mekhi Blackmon to a torn ACL and traded Andrew Booth Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys. They need someone to step up in a major way and they found that in an unlikely place.

McGlothern was an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas who started his career at LSU. What separates McGlothern from other players wasn't his athletic testing, but rather the game athletic score from Pro Football Focus. He was a 92nd percentile athlete in that metric which measures how athletic you are on the field rather than on a track. That is evident watching him, especially on the interception return inside the 10 yard line. With all of the movement at the position paired with his impressive performance, McGlothern is likely to make the 53-man roster.

Related: Vikings thrive on offense: Kene Nwangwu and Trishton Jackson stand out vs. Browns