Brian Flores and the Vikings' defense have a Lions problem

The Vikings are now 0-3 against the Lions since Flores took over last year.

Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) prepares for the snap against the Minnesota Vikings during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Brian Flores has been outstanding as the Vikings' defensive coordinator since being hired prior to last season, but there's one offense he just can't seem to figure out how to stop — and it belongs to the team standing between the Vikings and the heights they want to reach.

Dating back to Christmas Eve of last year, three of Minnesota's last nine regular season games have been losses to the Detroit Lions. They've allowed 31, 30, and 30 points in those games, along with 391, 389, and 381 yards. Jared Goff is 75 of 97 (77 percent) for 857 yards with 5 TDs and 0 INTs. Amon-Ra St. Brown has at least 7 catches, 100 yards, and a TD in each game. Jahmyr Gibbs has had two huge outings among the three.

After another loss on Sunday where it seemed all too easy at times for Goff and company, Flores officially has a Lions problem.

To be fair, most of the league has had trouble slowing down the Lions' offense since they got hot in the second half of the 2022 season. They're 27-9 in their last 36 games, led by one of the best and most balanced offenses in football. But at some point, Flores and the Vikings have to find a way to come up with some answers against Ben Johnson and the Lions.

When the Lions romped over the Vikings twice in the final three weeks of last season, it was easy to blame some injuries and a lack of depth on the roster. This year was supposed to be different. The Vikings overhauled their defense in the offseason, bringing in pieces that fit Flores' scheme and bolstering their depth. Coming into this week's game, they had been the best defense in the NFL by a wide margin (and they still are).

But the results were basically the same. Yes, the Vikings' defense made some splash plays: four sacks, three forced fumbles, one touchdown that was nearly a game-winner. Yes, they were without No. 1 linebacker Blake Cashman, who has been great this season. Nonetheless, it was still concerning to see the Lions rip off four consecutive touchdown drives on the Vikings' home field in the middle of the game — seemingly without breaking a sweat.

They went like this: 5 plays, 69 yards, long TD run by Gibbs. 5 plays, 83 yards, long TD pass from Goff to St. Brown. 9 plays, 72 yards, Gibbs TD run. 9 plays, 70 yards, Goff TD pass to Kalif Raymond. Those 28 points, plus the final three on the game-winning field goal, were all the Lions needed.

Slot Merchant 😉@amonra_stbrown #DETvsMIN | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/vQdYNcMPr6

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 20, 2024

In the schematic chess match, Flores is a resounding 0-3 against Johnson. The Vikings simply haven't been able to stop the run or limit Goff, who is seemingly built to beat them. They blitzed Goff on 17 of his 29 dropbacks (59 percent) on Sunday and he was 15 of 16 for 165 yards and a touchdown on those plays. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league against the blitz, which is the bread and butter of what the Vikings do. And when they didn't blitz him, he was 7 of 9 for 115 yards and a TD.

It's been the same story going back to last year. In Week 18, the Vikings blitzed Goff on a whopping 29 of his 33 dropbacks, and he completed 21 passes for 310 and 2 TDs. In Week 16, he was 22 of 26 against the blitz. It just hasn't worked. The Lions have a great offensive line and are good at picking up blitzes, and Goff always knows where his answers are when pressure arrives. But if you sit back and rush three or four, the Lions can run the ball with ease and Goff will pick you apart.

Related: Kevin O'Connell vows to clean up Vikings' self-inflicted wounds on offense

What's most concerning is that the Lions didn't seem to be doing anything especially complicated in Sunday's game. They just ran the ball well and found soft spots over the middle of the field on simple intermediate in-breaking routes, averaging 10.5 yards per play across those four TD drives and 7.0 for the game. That's something the Vikings will have to fix over the two-plus months before they see the Lions again in a Week 18 game that could have huge stakes.

"They've got a really good offense," Kevin O'Connell said after the game. "Ben does a great job calling it. They're well coached. It's just a matter of you've got to be on the screws every single snap. Run game, defense, you've gotta do the little things against them with play style and all the things we talked about. Then when you get them in those situations, how tight can we be in coverage, how great can the rush be, can we affect him, and if he's gonna stand in there and make throws, you gotta figure out a way to put them in D&Ds (down and distances) that they're gonna have to hold it a little more. And we gotta cover a little tighter. ... Gotta find a way to improve."