7 biggest takeaways from the Vikings loss to the Packers in Week 17

Vikings Takeaway No. 5

Has Brian Flores' defense been figured out?

During Minnesota's five-game winning streak earlier this season, part of the reason for their success was due to the team's defense performing at a high level each and every week.

From Week 6 to Week 14, the Vikings held six of their eight opponents under 20 points, and the aggressive scheme run by Flores was starting to become the talk of the league.

During Minnesota's last few games, however, the opposing offenses have begun to pick the Vikings' defense apart. Sunday's loss to the Packers was just the latest example.

In their win, Green Bay became the third Minnesota opponent in a row to accumulate at least 27 points and 390 yards of offense. This type of performance is more reminiscent of the Vikings' defense from 2022, and that is not a unit that any defense should be imitating.

There are still plenty of things to like about the progress that Minnesota's defense has been able to make in their first year with Flores calling the shots. But if he returns for another season, it seems like some significant tweaks will need to be made during the offseason to prevent the defense from getting carved up by more opponents in 2024.