5 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Week 1

Prediction No. 4

The Vikings will sack Baker Mayfield at least five times

One of the biggest flaws in Ed Donatell’s defense was that he had the Vikings sit back and try to prevent big plays. Under Flores, the Vikings are sure to be more aggressive and put pressure on Mayfield in Sunday’s game.

In his final year with the Miami Dolphins, Flores’s defense ranked second in the NFL with a 39.6 percent blitz rate. Flores showed no signs of letting up during training camp as the Vikings deployed a defense so aggressive Cousins lost his mind trying to prepare against it and will now be going up against an offensive line that lost Ryan Jensen to a potentially career-ending injury and will be starting third-round pick Cody Mauch.

But the biggest target for the Vikings could be Tristan Wirfs, who is switching over from right tackle to left tackle after the Buccaneers released Donovan Smith last offseason. In an article by ESPN’s Jenna Laine, Wirfs revealed that he saw a psychiatrist to deal with anxiety over the switch last spring.

“It seems like so minuscule, like, oh, you’re just flipping sides, but I was like having breakdowns about it,” Wirfs said. “I’m like, ‘I can’t sit here with these thoughts anymore. I’m just kind of setting myself up for failure.’ I would just think about ‘I am going to suck’ or like ‘I am not going to be able to do it all day long.”

While Wirfs is a two-time Pro Bowler and made the All-Pro team in 2021, the switch to the left side could provide a transition period that Flores could take advantage of. With an aggressive philosophy, the attempt to exploit Tampa’s offensive line won’t come without a lack of effort, which could lead to several sacks on Sunday afternoon.