Average. That was the hope from the purple masses. Three straight seasons of defensive drudgery meant people in Minnesota wanted to see the Vikings’ defense get into NFL average.
As of right now, the Vikings have arrived. Brian Flores, the new defensive coordinator, deserves a pile of credit. He has transformed a horrendous 2022 group, largely by rejuvenating veterans who played poorly last season and by developing several of the youngsters. And, let’s not forget, he has done so without the help of one of his main weapons, edge rusher Marcus Davenport.
The unfortunate reality is that the loss of Kirk Cousins will mean more of the onus shifts to the defense.