Vikings DC Brian Flores deserves way more credit than he gets from Dolphins fans

The Minnesota Vikings appeared to strike gold when they hired former New England Patriots assistant and Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to become their new defensive coordinator. He didn't seem to leave Miami in the highest regard, as is so often the case with former Bill Belichick assistant turned into coaches.

Flores was put in the national spotlight when Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa publically called Flores out for running an overbearing, cruel team that featured tons of open belittling and insulting of the former No. 5 pick during his rookie season. Flores, naturally, decided to defend himself.

In a press conference, during which he was flanked by Vikings defensive back Josh Metellus and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, Flores said that he is "happy" for Tagovailoa's success and described his abrasive style as the byproduct of trying to be a successful coach at the NFL level.

Regardless of what he said in this press conference, many fans have already made their mind up about Flores. In their minds, he was an overmatched head coach who struggled in Miami. While Mike McDaniel may have a flashier offense, Flores' tenure in Miami shouldn't just be discounted as a complete waste of time.

Vikings DC Brian Flores did better than most believe as Dolphins head coach

The situation Flores came into in Miami was dire. The owner was tampering to get Tom Brady, and the roster was putrid. With a seemingly 67-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick and second-year Josh Rosen as his quarterbacks, the Dolphins' obvious tank job early in the 2019 season was so bad people were wondering if the NFL should intervene.

After losing his first seven games, Flores went 24-18 the rest of the way. This came alongside horrendous quarterback play, minimal running game, and a rookie Tagovailoa taking the reins. He hired some bad coordinators, especially on offense, but Miami kept challenging for the postseason despite inferior rosters.

Mike McDaniel may have made the playoffs twice, and his high-powered offense is the talk of the league, but his only 20-14 as a head coach. In his last two seasons in Miami, Flores was 19-14. McDaniel, who is 0-2 in the postseason, has his own set of concerns, as his team often fades in December when it gets colder.

Because so many former Belichick assistants have failed away from his gravitational pull (Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, Romeo Crennel, Josh McDaniels), many were quick to throw dirt on him. However, looking at the full context of what went down in Miami, Flores may have done better than expected.

Flores may not have handled a rookie like Tagovailoa very well, but that doesn't mean he was a hothead who knew nothing about football. If he puts together another elite season masterminding the Vikings defense, teams will assuredly be blowing up his phone to give him a second chance.