It would be something of a surprise to see the Minnesota Vikings defense emerge as a force after the preseason opener. Apparently though, that’s exactly what happened during joint practices with the Cleveland Browns this week.
Brian Flores has Minnesota Vikings defense rolling
Last weekend, in the Minnesota Vikings first preseason game, their defense was picked apart by Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. That could have been a wakeup call. Because the story was a lot different this week, at Browns vs Vikings practices
Many on the Cleveland sideline came away impressed by what Minnesota’s defense showed this week. Deshaun Watson, who struggled both days, told Alec Lewis of The Athletic , that the Vikings have a “very versatile defense” under Flo.
Brian Flores’ defense caused the Browns offense headaches for two days. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was not loquacious when asked about Wednesday’s challenges, but he said, “Very versatile defense in what Flo does in Minnesota.”
Vikings fans know what that means, but may not know how good Andrew Van Ginkel , now healthy, has looked recently. He and Jonathan Greenard provided constant pressure off the edge on Wednesday and Thursday.
Alec Lewis on the Vikings defense during joint practice this week
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Previously hurt this offseason, Van Ginkel has quickly found a clean bill of health . Turner picked up a sack against the Raiders. Greenard has big shoes to fill as he looks to replicate the production lost with Danielle Hunter’s departure. The pass rush could certainly set up the secondary in ideal scenarios.
Could the Minnesota Vikings defense be a surprise?
It has been assumed that the Minnesota Vikings will struggle on the defensive side of things. Although Brian Flores is a mastermind, he has limited resources. The cornerback position is especially thin , and that’s where plenty of the problems could stem from. If the edge rusher group is good though, that could mitigate plenty of issues.
“The year-over-year transformation of the edge rusher group, which also includes the massive Jihad Ward, will likely be a talker in the months ahead…It’s fair to think Flores’ unit could once again terrorize opposing quarterbacks this season.”
Alec Lewis on the Vikings defensive growth
Lewis also highlights the growth of Ivan Pace Jr . He noted that veteran Harrison Smith and the rest of the safeties seemed to keep Browns quarterbacks confused.
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Should joint practices provide any indication, the defense will look much better on Saturday than they did during the first preseason game. Minnesota needs that to happen, if they are going to find success in 2024. With QB questions aplenty, over on the offensive side, the more pressure Flo’s defense can absorb, the better.
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