Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is a madman when it comes to calling defense. The philosophy is simple, really: Blitz, blitz, and blitz some more. He has taken defense and made it truly fun to watch.
The Vikings are blitzing at a rate of 73-78% of passing plays, depending on the site giving out the data. That is by far the highest percentage in the league — and it's not close. They are a zone-blitz unit that shows a ton of looks that confuse offensive lines and quarterbacks to the point that the passers are often left seeing ghosts even when the pressure isn't there.
It's why the Vikings lead the league in sacks with 14 and are quickly becoming a team opposing quarterbacks fear. They registered six sacks of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in their 23-16 victory Sunday, a game in which they made the Tampa Bay offensive line look bad. They also ran through backs and tight ends in pass protection, and Mayfield was jumpy all day.
It looked like Minnesota was playing with 13 players on defense all day long. The Vikings are 3-0 because of that defense. Their quarterbacks haven't thrown for over 168 yards in a game because they haven't needed it, thanks to that dominant defense.
Minnesota is up to No. 4 in my Power Rankings as Flores continues to show off his impressive defensive mind. If the offense, with Kyler Murray back under center, can get some flow in the passing game, this is going to be a tough team to beat week in and week out. It's also going to make for tough weeks for opponents to recover after playing them, since they beat you up on defense.
The Buffalo Bills move to the top spot of my rankings after the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Washington Commanders. Buffalo beat the Los Angeles Chargers despite turning the ball over five times. That's the sign of a good team.
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