1) Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores form a coaching dream team
The NFL is generally a player’s league, with stars routinely determining which teams win or lose. That said, tactics and strategies take center stage in the postseason, with superior coaching deciding outcomes in a single-elimination tournament. With elite offensive and defensive strategists in place, the Vikings have a significant advantage. O’Connell (head coach/offensive play caller) and Flores (defensive coordinator) are exceptional game planners and play-callers, and their creative and imaginative schemes often confound opposing coordinators in crucial moments. And these gurus not only test the discipline of opponents’ schemes but also consistently create big-play opportunities for Minnesota’s best players.
Offensively, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison regularly post big numbers despite facing umbrella coverages with two deep safeties. In addition, Jefferson gets loose against double teams and bracket coverage through clever deployments that make it hard for opponents to maintain their leverage. By utilizing various motions, shifts and exotic formations, the Vikings find ways to get their all-world playmaker the ball despite facing myriad tactics designed to neutralize his impact.
Defensively, Flores is the master of deception, possessing a playbook loaded with unusual pre-snap alignments that change into various post-snap pressures and/or traditional coverages. With quarterbacks unable to crack the code before the snap, the bluff-and-bait tactics create a guessing game that few signal-callers have been able to win, going against the Vikings’ veteran-laden defense.
In addition, Flores’ unique schemes have helped Minnesota’s impact players make game-changing plays. For instance, Jonathan Greenard (10), Andrew Van Ginkel (nine) and Pat Jones II (seven) have combined for 26 sacks despite opponents anticipating Cover 0-like pressures from the Vikings, based on their success utilizing the tactic in 2023. The defensive architect’s thorough understanding of pass-protection schemes and route concepts has enabled Minnesota to adapt and adjust to maintain an advantage over opponents ill-equipped to deal with persistent pressure.
Given the importance of whiteboard wizards in the playoffs, the Vikings’ coaching staff gives them a decided advantage over most foes.
2) Justin Jefferson and Co. can make Sam Darnold a star in the playoffs
O’Connell’s exceptional scheming as a quarterback whisperer has helped Darnold play like an upper-echelon starter, but the Vikings’ stellar supporting cast could make him a postseason star.
Jefferson and Addison are spectacular route runners with rare playmaking ability as catch-and-run specialists and vertical threats. They can score from anywhere on the field, but their ability to turn high-percentage passes into big plays makes them ideal weapons for a quarterback who struggled with accuracy before playing in Minnesota.
Furthermore, tight end T.J. Hockenson has re-emerged as a dominant playmaker between the hashes after shaking off the rust from a season-ending knee injury in 2023. The two-time Pro Bowler is settling back in as a chain mover, displaying soft hands and outstanding ball skills while accounting for 16 first downs on 23 receptions. As a big body (6-foot-5, 248 pounds) with the size and length to expand the strike zone, Hockenson is an easy target for Darnold on crucial downs.
While Aaron Jones flies under the radar as one of the catalysts for the running back renaissance, the veteran has amassed 1,111 scrimmage yards (820 rushing yards and 291 receiving yards) with five scores. His ability to find creases between the tackles has alleviated the pressure on Minnesota to rely solely on the aerial attack while also creating some big-play chances on play-action passes from various formations. Additionally, Jones’ effectiveness on screens and swings has given the journeyman quarterback another option to target on high-percentage passes.
Considering how the Vikings’ depth and talent challenges opponents at every turn, it is easy to see why Darnold is having a career year in Minnesota. If the supporting cast continues to dazzle on simplistic routes that a high-end high school quarterback could execute, Darnold could put on a Joe Flacco-like exhibition in the playoffs, leading to a blockbuster contract for a veteran who was once viewed as a major disappointment.
3) Minnesota’s big-play defense can get it done
In a passing league where it is hard to play defense, the Vikings are the nightmare that keeps opposing quarterbacks and play callers up at night. Under the direction of an ultra-aggressive DC who pushes the envelope with exotic pressure schemes, Minnesota ranks near the top of the charts in sacks (39) and takeaways (24, including a league-best 18 interceptions). With negative plays coveted at premium, the Vikings’ uncanny ability to put opponents behind the chains makes them a challenge to face in a single-elimination tourney. Though offensive coordinators have scoured the tape for almost two years attempting to crack the Vikings’ defensive code, the ever-evolving scheme maximizes the experience and wisdom of a veteran group that has played a lot of games.
In the defensive backfield, in particular, the presence of Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore has enabled the Vikings to feature creative pre-snap disguises and unorthodox coverages from unique alignments. As a result, quarterbacks struggle to decipher the Vikings’ intentions before the snap, leading to costly mistakes when the post-snap actions fool signal-callers. Given the relentless pressure the Vikings put on the quarterback via real and simulated blitzes, the creative tactics produce game-changing turnovers at inopportune moments.
Considering how negative plays (sacks, tackles for loss and turnovers) routinely determine winners and losers in the tournament, the Vikings’ aggressive tactics could lead to purple and gold confetti falling from the sky in Super Bowl LIX.