Brian Flores just gave the NFL proof he's its best play-caller

Whenever the question is asked about who is the best play-caller in the NFL, rarely are defensive coordinators included in the conversation.

Well, after helping the Minnesota Vikings put on a defensive masterclass in a win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Brian Flores is more than deserving of being in that conversation.

In the days leading up to the Week 2 matchup against the Bears, all Flores and the Vikings had to hear about was how amazing a play-caller Chicago head coach Ben Johnson is and how he's been one of the few to find success against Flores's defenses in the past.

Well, on Sunday, Minnesota's defensive coordinator made sure that everyone watching at home and inside Soldier Field knew that what happened in the past was staying in the past, and that his unit, not Johnson's, was the one that was going to dominate the Week 2 matchup.

Brian Flores has the Vikings defense playing offense in 2026

Chicago scored three points on its opening offensive drive on Sunday, and those turned out to be the only points given up by the Vikings' defense during the entirety of the game.

With the Bears facing a 3rd-and-12 from their own 40-yard line on their next offensive drive of the game, Flores had Minnesota use his trademark all-out pressure pre-snap look with eight Vikings defenders on the line of scrimmage.

After the ball was snapped, five of those eight Vikings defenders rushed the passer and forced Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams out of the pocket.

Williams ran to his right to avoid the pressure, and before getting chased down, he heaved a jump pass five feet over the head of his intended target and into the hands of Minnesota cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.

That wasn't the result of a play-call by Johnson. That interception happened because of a play that Flores called. His decision was the one that forced that outcome.

Instead of running a defense that reacts to whatever the opposing offense does on each play, Flores is forcing opposing offenses to react to whatever the Vikings' defense is doing.

There's a method to Brian Flores' madness

Minnesota's defense isn't one that's packed full of superstars (well, check back about Dallas Turner in a couple of months).

There are a couple of guys who have earned spots on a Pro Bowl roster in the last few seasons, but for the most part, it's just a group of players who are really, really good at the role they've been given in the Vikings' defense.

Minnesota is able to play at a high level on the defensive side of the ball in part because Flores puts the guys out on the field in the best position to succeed.

After Sunday's win, Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman talked about how Flores will come to his players in the middle of a game and ask them what's working best and what adjustments need to be made.

"The feedback between coaches and players [brings out the best in the defense].

As we got into the second half, specifically the fourth quarter, he's asking us what calls we really like [and] what we feel confident in. He's asking the front, 'Hey, if we're bringing a [linebacker] here, what rushes are you guys confident in?'

So, we're having that conversation on the sideline so we're all on the same page because, as we know, especially in a divisional game, you're expecting a 60-minute fight. We knew it was going to come down to the wire, so you've gotta be at your best come second half [and] fourth quarter."

Minnesota cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who had a key fumble recovery and a field-goal block on Sunday, also shared some thoughts on playing for Flores after the victory in Chicago.

"We just trust Brian Flores and I think he's, if not, one of the best, I think he's probably the best [defensive coordinator in the NFL right now]. Seeing him and his fire towards us, we just want to go out there and play for our coach."

Flores' defensive scheme isn't for everyone (see Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen). But for the players who buy in and understand what their role in the defense asks of them, they are the ones who typically end up getting rewarded in the future by the Vikings.

So, yes, two games into a 2026 NFL season that began with the league's 32 teams combining to score the most Week 1 points ever during the Super Bowl era, the best play-caller in the NFL currently spends his weekends roaming Minnesota's sideline, and it's not the guy who some have tabbed the "Quarterback Whisperer".

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