Brian Flores knows exactly what he’s up against on Sunday, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
As the Minnesota Vikings prepare to face the Detroit Lions in Week 8, the Vikings’ defensive coordinator made it clear he has plenty of respect for Jared Goff even while plotting ways to make the quarterback uncomfortable. Minnesota enters the matchup at 6-0, while Detroit comes in at 4-2.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, Flores said he “had been thinking” about Goff’s career and called the 32-year-old “been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over a good amount of time,” according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
“Period. He's been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL over a good amount of time. He's grown quite a bit,” Flores said about Goff.
Goff’s path to this point has been a long one. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft began his career with the Los Angeles Rams, where Sean McVay helped turn him into a productive quarterback. In March of 2021, the Lions landed Goff in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles.
Since arriving in Detroit, Goff has put together strong seasons and is aiming even higher this year. That task gets tougher against a Flores defense that attacks aggressively and brings heavy pressure.
“Highest blitz rates in a game this season: 1 Vikings Week 7…2 Vikings Week 2…3 Vikings Week 1,” Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer wrote on X. “For the season, the difference in blitz rate between the Vikings and No.
2 Commanders is the same as the difference between the Commanders and No. 32 Bengals.”
Sunday will show whether Flores and the Vikings can land the first big blow, or whether Goff and the Lions can handle the heat.
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For Thomas, the assignment is less about waiting for an opening than about making himself impossible to ignore in practice and on special teams. Minnesota can afford patience when the current trio is playing at a high level, but the competition at safety is not going to ease up on its own, which means Thomas will have to keep building toward a chance that may still be some time away. [Read more 🡒]