Matthew Coller: After win over 49ers, Vikings defense believes it can be 'special'

Vikings' D gave up just 17 points to the 49ers by coming through in the biggest moments.

Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; The Minnesota Vikings react after an interception by safety Josh Metellus (obscured in center) against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

MINNEAPOLIS — Following the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, CBS Bay Area cameras caught 49ers QB Brock Purdy shaking hands with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

“Scheme is crazy,” Purdy said to Flores.

But inside the locker room, the Vikings’ defenders did not feel like they had done anything crazy to the 49ers’ quarterback, who took six sacks, was picked off and fumbled against Flores’ unit on Sunday afternoon.

“The gameplan was simple, believe it or not,” safety Cam Bynum said. “We didn’t send a lot of pressure, we didn’t do a lot of stuff we normally do. It was really just a mindset. We know their resume they have as a big, physical team trying to run the ball and muscle their way through people. Our mindset was that we need to bring it to them.”

The Vikings were able to “bring it to them” in particular on key downs. San Francisco converted just 2-of-10 third downs and 1-of-3 fourth downs and they only converted two of their four attempts in the red zone.

“One word: Beautiful,” safety Josh Metellus said. “We played great, man, team ball. I was telling the guys in there that when you’re a DB and the front is getting pressure like that and they’re running Brock Purdy down like that they make our job so much easier. ”

Last week against the New York Giants they put together a similarly dominant performance but there was some question whether the Giants were just that bad on offense. Dominance against the 49ers officially makes the Vikings’ defense dangerous.

How did the defense get to the point where the NFL’s No. 3 scoring offense last year was handing out compliments their way? That started back in March.

When free agency opened, the Vikings went to the market and picked up three veteran players in Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman. When the first wave of free agency was over, they made some more subtle moves in adding DT Jerry Tillery and OLB Jihad Ward. Only a few weeks before the season they went back to the market and signed former defensive MVP CB Stephon Gilmore.

“Every single guy in that room I look at as a guy that can start and play every snap if we needed them to,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We just have the luxury – Kwesi (Adofo-Mensah) has put together a roster and we got a bunch of guys that can all play, and we’re really using those guys. I want to credit Flo for how he’s using them.”

What the Vikings needed to beat San Francisco was every one of the new additions to rise to the challenge. Cashman had 13 tackles and three pass breakups, Van Ginkel had a sack and tipped a pass late in the game, Greenard had a sack, Ward recovered a fumble, Gilmore handled the star-studded group of SF receivers.

“For some reason when they brought this group of guys in the offseason, we just gelled immediately,” Metellus said. “It’s like they knew exactly what this team is build on and they fit the exact mold. All of those guys over there who were wearing purple for the first time or playing in US Bank Stadium for the first time, they just fit right in with the team. They were our brothers instantly. The connection is ever-growing and I’m excited to see what we can do with this.”

Bynum appreciated the way the newly-acquired players were willing to learn new tricks even if they had been in very different situations before.

“Everybody’s mindset, being able to understand that it’s a different type of defense,” Bynum said. “Not throwing away your old stuff but knowing that this is not similar to what anybody else is doing in the league so everybody being humble enough to learn new things and being eager to learn was the best thing for us.”

“You could tell in training camp that we were going to be special,” Bynum continued. “I don’t know if the outside saw it but inside the building we knew by the way we gelled together quick and felt like everybody had the fire inside them to hurry up and learn the defense for all the new guys and to play well once we’re in it.”

Pass rusher Jonathan Greenard said that the team started to get the sense that the defense was onto something when they played well against the Browns in joint practices.

“It was our first test to see what we’ve got against a very good team. When we got out to practice it was the plays we were making everywhere,” Greenard said.

Greenard cited the veteran-laden defense’s selflessness as the reason that they have come together so quickly to flummox their last two opponents.

“I think we all have the same mindset to win a championship,” Greenard said. “You have to be selfless at times. Whenever play calls are run, not every play is meant for you, you have a job to do. Your time is going to come in this defense…. that’s why it’s so successful. Nobody’s greedy, nobody is selfish. We’re like, whatever is going to work, we’re going to do it. That’s the mentality.”

Van Ginkel, who returned an INT for touchdown in Week 1 and then nearly did it again on the 49ers’ final drive, said that it’s simply the accumulation of talent that the Vikings have put together that has led to their early success.

“I think we’re special,” Van Ginkel said. “From the front end to the back end, we have guys all over the place that can make plays. We have a Hall of Famer in the back. We just re-signed [Phillips] up front, just across the board we have playmakers, we have depth. Sky is the limit for us.”

The 49ers may have been a difficult challenge — and they still racked up nearly 400 yards — but they won’t be the last good offenses that the Vikings are asked to slow down. Next week they are set to take on young star CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans at US Bank Stadium. With Houston’s scary-good defense, the Vikings’ D will likely be called upon again to lead the charge.

“This football team is not a joke,” O’Connell said. “I expect our team to continue to prepare in the same way. I expect us to go out there and systematically build game plans and execute them, in the end compete our tails off every single week with those principles that we built this team around. And it’s only going to get harder, the journey is going to get difficult. We’re going to be punched in the mouth a lot along the way. We’ve got to be ready to overcome adversity, but there is absolutely no group I would rather do that with than the coaches and players in that locker room.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES

— Justin Jefferson spoke after the game about the injury that caused him to leave the game. He called it a “little thigh bruise” and said he’s “not overly concerned.”

— O’Connell said that they do not believe Dallas Turner has a serious injury after he hobbled off the field late in the game.

— On Jefferson’s 97-yard touchdown, O’Connell said:

“The 97-yarder was one of the prettiest throws I’ve seen. It actually goes back to a look we ran on them last year. Similar presentation, similar everything. That one has been in the hopper for a little bit. Did not know I would call it, backed up with our feet in the paint like that. Great protection in that moment. Elite execution by both.”

— On continuing to target Jefferson even if he’s covered, Darnold said:

“In preparing to play football for this team and watching him, the last couple years continuing to beat double teams. The thing is, too, if we don’t necessarily get the look we are looking for, if they do double team him, there’s guys on our team that can beat one-on-one coverage as well, and I’m going to continue to have the trust in those guys as well.”

— On wide receivers like Jalen Nailor and Brandon Powell stepping up in the absence of Jordan Addison and Jefferson, Darnold said:

“Those guys know exactly what we need to do…being able to step up when your number is called, no one was surprised when that happened… we’re going to continue to have situations [like that] -- unfortunately that’s how this league is.”

— Patrick Jones is up to four sacks in two games. On his development from last year to this season, Jones said: "Every day I've been trying to grind. This offseason I took it personally. I did the most that I could ever do. Locked in on diet, nutrition, my mental and everything."

— Some factoids via Vikings PR:

• Cashman is the first player since 2013 to have a single-game performance with at least 13 tackles, 1.0 sack and three passes defensed (Vincent Ray, CIN).
• Justin Jefferson recorded four receptions for 133 yards on the day. With6,091 career receiving yards, Jefferson tied Pro Football Hall of Famer LanceAlworth (62 games) as the fastest player to reach 6,000 receiving yards inNFL history.
• Ty Chandler averaged a career-high 8.2 yards per carry on 10 rushes for82 yards (minimum three carries).