Vikings' Brian Flores on facing Lions offense: 'I try to fight fire with fire'

Detroit has put two straight 40+ point performances

Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches his team play against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images / Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

The Vikings defense faces yet another tough test, perhaps the toughest of the season so far, this weekend when they host a Lions side coming off the back of two straight 40+ point performances. It's a test that Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores appears to be relishing, saying it's going to be a "major challenge" to slow down Detroit.

"It's a talented team. Across the board they play physical. They don't really have a lot of weaknesses," Flores said of the Lions offense on Tuesday. "Normally, you watch the tape, you say, 'Hey we're going to attack them here.' That's not really the case with this group. So, really from the backs, to the tight ends, to the receivers, to the o-line, to the quarterback, to the play caller, all of it is high level. They do a really nice job."

The Lions destroyed the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday, piling up 492 yards of total offense while putting up 47 points. It was the second straight game for Detroit with more than 40 points, having blasted the Seahawks 42-29 in Week 4. The only other team in the league to put up consecutive 40+ point performances this season is the New Orleans Saints, doing so in Weeks 1 and 2 against the Panthers and Cowboys.

Through six weeks, the Lions rank ninth in scoring and 10th in yards. Having a top-10 offense is something Detroit has become accustomed to under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Lions finished third in yards and fifth in points each of the past two seasons as the team has steadily grown into an NFC powerhouse.

"There's not a lot of weaknesses here," Flores said. "They got a really good group. They're well coached. They're physical. They can play a variety of styles. ... They got a lot of speed. They pose a lot of problems. It's a major, major challenge."

One of the biggest areas opposing teams have had trouble against the Lions is getting to quarterback Jared Goff. Detroit has given up just 10 sacks this season, which is tied for seventh fewest in the entire league through six weeks. That sets up an incredibly interesting battle for a Vikings defense that has racked up 20 sacks this season, good for third most in the league.

"I mean, they got a really good o-line. He gets the ball out quick. The receivers get open, quickly," Flores said when discussing what makes it so difficult to take down Goff. "I think he knows where his receivers are going to be, they know that he's going to get the ball to them in a certain place. The o-line knows that if they're inside-out on this one, he's going to have a pocket to step up in. All those things, they're really playing together as a team."

On top of being hard to get to, Goff leads an incredibly aggressive offense. Detroit has converted on 44.8% of it's third-down chances, seventh best in the league, and 55.6% of it's fourth-down chances, while attempting the sixth most fourth downs. That aggressiveness was on full display on Sunday, as the Lions attempted numerous trick plays while already leading by double-digits against the Cowboys.

Aggression is something Flores says he appreciates in Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's play calling. When asked how he plans to fight Detroit's aggression, Flores said he's not backing down.

"I mean, I try to fight fire with fire. That's just me. Some other people are different," said Flores.