It was B-Flo. Doing work.
“When you’ve played as long as I have, you don’t feel great every day,” veteran safety Harrison Smith said Monday following the playoff loss to the Rams. ”But playing, especially this year in this defense — some of the most fun I’ve had. And that starts with [Flores].”
Of the six Vikings named to the Pro Bowl, three were defensive players. Flores also turned Josh Metellus into a hard-hitting omni-back, able to line up anywhere on the field. Ivan Pace thrived under Flores’ tutelage.
Flores’ impact can’t be underestimated. After the signing of Marcus Davenport before the 2023 season flopped, Flores went to General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah before the 2024 free-agent cycle. Flores wanted Jonathan Greenard. He wanted Andrew Van Ginkel. After watching tape of Blake Cashman, Flores advocated for him, too. Adofo-Mensah, like a good GM should, gave his coach the players he wanted.
And look what the master chef created with his desired ingredients.
The Vikings need to have a Flores succession plan in place. They could opt for continuity and promote defensive backs/defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones to the role. Jones could run the same scheme, or he might follow Flores to his new team. The Vikings need to be prepared to jump into the hiring pool for a new coordinator. O’Connell does have solid connections throughout the league.