More than one or two writers out there connected Vikings DC Brian Flores to the Cincinnati Bengals . After all, the AFC North team is coming off yet another disappointing year, raising questions about Zac Taylor's employment status.
Black Monday has arrived for the NFL — coaches are indeed getting canned — and word has emerged about Taylor's fate. Mike Brown of the Bengals offered the following assessment of their plan at head coach : "After thoughtful consideration, I am confident that Duke Tobin and Zac Taylor are the right leaders to guide us forward."
Seeing a relationship between Brian Flores and the Bengals would have made a pile of sense.
As a defensive mastermind, Coach Flores could have infused respectability into his side of the ball in Cincinnati. The average points against per game came in at 30th in the NFL since a normal Sunday involved allowing 28.9 points. Meanwhile, the Vikings — in fairness, a team with superior talent on defense — finished off the year with the NFL's 7th-ranked defense by allowing an average of 19.6 points against per game.
Oct 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Shoring up the defense would do wonders for a Cincinnati squad that employs Joe Burrow .
Justin Jefferson 's teammate at LSU, Mr. Burrow, is among the game's elite passers. At worst, he's top five, and possibly top three.
Even more promising is that Burrow is tossing the pigskin to Ja'Marr Chase (stud) and Tee Higgins (underrated stud). That cluster of talent is fearsome, rightly keeping rival DCs up at night when tasked with shutting down the skies against the Bengals, a task easier said than done.
The issues that do exist for that offense (the offensive line comes to mind) would be addressed in short order by Flores. So, too, would the running game get a renewed emphasis since every defensive head coach loves running the ball.
Alas, the option isn't there for Brian Flores since the Bengals have opted against new leadership. Whether that was a wise move — staying the course with Taylor — remains to be seen.
Good chance, folks, that the division more broadly is happy about the decision not to seek coaching enhancement. These past three seasons have involved the Bengals finishing 4th in the division (2023), 3rd in the division (2024), and 3rd in the division (2025). That's a lot of mediocrity for a team with such a special quarterback.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
No doubt, Minnesota is doing all it can to retain the sophisticated tactician who has been referred to (with great affection) as "The Mad Scientist." Blitzing with unusual frequency while pushing players to shuffle all over the field will do that.
Pretty regularly, Coach Flores finds a way of pushing and pulling his fellas up to above their abilities. A collection of above average players can coalesce into being a very good defense under the leadership of Brian Flores.
The Vikings recently had a defensive assistant — safeties coach Michael Hutchings — depart for a DC gig in college. The coming days may see other assistants depart.
Seeing coaching talent head out the door always stings, but Minnesota can weather the storm if it retains its main leaders. Brian Flores, 44, deserves to be paid at the top of the market for NFL coordinators.
Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
The rumor is out there that the Las Vegas Raiders will pursue Coach Flores .
