Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his players aren't pushing the panic button

MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings defense was a primary reason for the team’s 5-0 start as it gave up only 15.2 points per game.

Now the defense is reeling after the Rams and Lions offenses consistently found ways to move the ball downfield and score in Vikings’ losses.

There were similarities in how both Los Angeles and Detroit were able to pick apart the Vikings secondary, stifle elaborate pressure schemes, and score a combined 59 points.

But defensive coordinator Brian Flores isn’t hitting the panic button.

“The message to the team is there’s such a small margin for error,” Flores said Tuesday. “We were on the winning side of that margin earlier in the season. There’s some valuable lessons to learn for us.”

Flores pointed to the trio of third-down penalties that gave the Rams another set of downs, and helped Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford extend drives while throwing four touchdown passes. But there were also simple breakdowns within the pass rush as well as the coverage.

The culprits varied from play to play. Cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. was called for two flags. Cornerback Shaq Griffin got beat twice on the same Rams touchdown drive. Jonathan Greenard was the only Vikings edge rusher with more than one quarterback pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nobody sacked Stafford.

“I talked to the guys about the ‘my bad’ plays,” Flores said. “You say ‘my bad,’ then you say ‘my bad,’ then you say ‘my bad,’ you say ‘my bad,’ you end up with seven to 10 ‘my bad’ plays that could be better.

“We don’t have to play perfect, but we have to play good. And what that means is doing the routine things.

“We ask them to do some difficult things. We play in a check system as you guys know. Check to this versus that formation, check to that versus that formation. They give us this, we’ll do this. Those aren’t the things that showed up in the game. It’s an alignment here, a basic communication. We just have to clean those things up.”

Flores said the Vikings are spending time this week anticipating that their coming opponents, including the Colts on Sunday night, will try to mimic facets of the Lions and Rams attacks.

“It’s a copycat league,” Flores said. “Things that worked, if they have it in their offense, which most teams have some version of it.

“What do we do to counter that? What do we do to make something look the same and maybe bait them into a throw or a run?”

Safety Josh Metellus echoed his boss, saying their confidence level remains “very high.”

“Doing the little things the right way like we did the first five weeks,” Metellus said. “We’ll be fine. I don’t think the challenge is as big as everybody else says it is, but we know we just got to do the right things at the right time.”

The potential return of linebacker Blake Cashman, who led the team in tackles and pass deflections through the first five games, would help. It remains to be seen if Cashman can return from the Oct. 6 turf toe injury that has kept him sidelined the past two losses.

“Obviously, Blake’s a big loss,” Flores said. “He does a great job. But we really have the next man up mentality. The guys who have stepped in have played well. But we’ve got to play a little bit better, that’s it. Everybody’s got to do a little bit more. But certainly Blake has been a tough loss.”

The Colts plan to start 39-year-old veteran quarterback Joe Flacco against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium over struggling second-year passer Anthony Richardson, who completed 10-of-32 passes in last week’s loss to the Texans.

“Joe’s obviously very experienced,” Flores said. “There’s nothing he hasn’t seen. I’d say the run game would be very different if he’s in there.”

The Colts passing game will be different, too. While Flacco isn’t the running threat like Richardson, he has thrown for 548 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in two starts this season.

Flacco, the 2008 first-round pick in his 17th NFL season, can still make plays downfield if the Vikings defense gives him the time and space in coverage.

The Vikings defense isn’t trying to let that happen in front of a national audience again.

“If you’re a good team, you should love prime-time,” Metellus said. “I’m a player who thinks my abilities shine brighter in the light. We’re ready for it. We know we want to show, especially coming off a prime-time loss this past week, we’re ready to bounce back and get on the right side of things.”

____