Brian Flores hasn’t turned water into wine, but he has worked a football miracle by turning a putrid Minnesota Vikings defense from 2022 into a legit defense in 2023. The success coupled with his experience as a head coach in the past has Flores’ name popping up in the rumor mill as a possible head coaching candidate when jobs open up after the season.
Asked about the situation Tuesday by Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller, Flores provided a professional response.
“Matt, I understand the question, I really do. My message to our guys yesterday was we’ve got 35 guaranteed days. That’s all we got that’s guaranteed. I asked them to put everything into these 35 days,” Flores said. “I can’t give that message and not heed that message. My focus is on these guys, this team, these next five games because that’s all we really have. I understand the question, but that’s where my focus is.
“All the other stuff, I ask them to block it out and I’m blocking it out myself because I think you gotta lead by example and I’m certainly going to do that. I know that that’s out there, I’m not blind to any of that. But, I’m really focused on the task at hand.
“Like I said, my message to those guys was: We got five weeks. Let’s put everything into these five weeks and not come out of it with any regrets and saying, ‘Hey my focus is on this so it wasn’t on you guys.’ That’s not happening. I think these guys work too hard, they’ve put a lot into the season already. I understand the question, but that is really not where I’m at right now.”
According to Pro Football Focus, the Vikings grade out as the 11th best defense in the NFL, ranking 12th against the run and seventh in coverage grades.
Asked if his agents are reminding him of the situation, Flores said with a smirk, “Yeah, they know not to bring it up.”
