Cliff wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2024 2:08 pm
I'm only worried about the defense in that they can't stop killing themselves with penalties. They made what, 3 stops on 3rd downs that got canceled out? You really can't disregard how important that is. Those are 3 possessions that should have been for the Vikings offense that went back to the Ram's offense instead. That's a huge deal. No different than if 3 INTs were called back. Flores doesn't have much control over that.
Totally agree and it is a real killer, although some of the calls were borderline IMHO, and especially so compared to some of the stuff that wasn't then called on the Rams.
The entire team has been really sloppy in terms of penalties the last two games. Not sure if that falls on the coaches or players (probably a combo of both), but as you pointed out those self-inflicted wounds have been significant.
Cliff wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2024 2:08 pm
As far as making adjustments, he did that in the Lions game. They had his number in the first half and he tightened things up in the second, it was just too late because the 1st half was such a beat down.
Why wait so long to make those adjustments, though? I mean, does Flores have to watch his defense get shredded on 3 straight drives to finally make adjustments?
What I don't understand is why he ever plays that soft zone, especially when he sends the blitz. If they don't get home, which they haven't been now 2 solid games, it's just way too easy for the opposing QB to find a guy. I realize playing tight man on blitzes carries risk, but it also does make it much more challenging for the opposing QB to play pitch-and-catch. He's got to deal with both the pressure from the blitz even if it doesn't get home while at the same time trying to figure out which route to throw at, which is never going to be obviously open since the DBs are tight man. If a DB loses his man and gets beat, so be it. At least it forces the opposing QB to take a chance and heck, he might even make a mistake or two.
Cliff wrote: ↑Fri Oct 25, 2024 2:08 pm
His scheme is honestly not much different than Zimmer's in my opinion and it has the same weaknesses. The biggest is how much it drains the players over the course of a game. It's all well and good to get players to the line and then drop them back in coverage but that takes it's toll. It's also weaker against the more experienced QBs. They aren't as easily fooled by that stuff. If the QB is really good at getting the ball out early and/or the D line can't get good pressure, it's not pretty. If you rush 5 or 6 and drop into a zone someone is going to be open if you can't rattle the QB.
Well, the Lions went off in the 2nd quarter, so I'm not sure how drained the Vikings defensive players were at that point regardless of the scheme, at least if that's the explanation for the dropoff in their play.
Also, I think the failure of the Vikings offense to sustain drives is at least as significant a drain on the defense as the defensive scheme. When the offense keeps going backwards due to penalties and poor execution and can't get a first down for long stretches of games, any defense will wear down unless they can force the opposing offense off the field quickly, which the Vikings defense seems averse to do lately.
Bottom line for me is Flores is doing it with mostly smoke and mirrors. He likes to mask pressure, but when he sends it he relies on it getting home. When it doesn't, his soft shell zone gets picked apart fairly easily. He makes too many assumptions also about what will work and won't work and has the same tendency that a lot of coaches seem to have at the pro level where he trusts what he believes should be happening over what he sees actually happening. That, more than anything, is the reason for his failure to adjust. In that sense he is very much like Zimmer (and Childress, and countless others) was/is. He believes in the dogma of the scheme. The scheme doesn't fail - only the players fail to execute it properly, so if they just do a better job it will work. Only it doesn't work that way, and unless/until Flores accepts that, the defense is going to continue to go through long stretches where they get steamrolled.
I think if Flores wants to bring pressure, bring it. Bring the blitz. Bring the DBs up tight and get jams at the LOS. Make it hard for the opposing receivers to release and get into their routes. Make timing routes hard to execute. Swarm the LOS and take your chances. And then hope KOC and the offense can find a way to at least string together a few drives that last more than 30 seconds.