Our pass rush is a huge unknown going into 2024...

[MaroonBells]

Honestly, Hunter was great but disappeared in several games. The  opposing offense can no longer focus on stopping one guy because of the way Flores is coaching them up. There will always be a way for one guy or another to find an advantage with the way Flores is scheming them and granting them autonomy to call their shots on the field. This defense is as innovative to me as Bill Walsh's west coast offense was years ago. The combination of innovation by both Flores and KOC make this team dangerous.
The Lions are a very good team, partially because they are well coached for the most part, but not as well as the Vikings.
The Vikings need to clean things up a bit. But I truly believe they will beat the lions, and that will be monumental. I look for it to be another very physical game.

While I don’t agree that Hunter disappeared any more than any other top Edge based on how they’re schemed, I do agree that this year’s rotation is better. Unlike last year’s group, Greenard and Van Ginkel were hand-picked by Flores to run his defense. He knew what he wanted (apparently football IQ and versatility), identified the players and we went out and got them.

The best thing about this defense is that it’s so shifty and dynamic, you don’t need superstars to make it work. Pace goes down, Grugier-Hill comes in and plays just as well. League-average players like Pat Jones and Harrison Phillips can also have an impact. That keeps it unpredictable and hard to game plan for.

[StickierBuns]

While I don’t agree that Hunter disappeared any more than any other top Edge based on how they’re schemed, I do agree that this year’s rotation is better. Unlike last year’s group, Greenard and Van Ginkel were hand-picked by Flores to run his defense. He knew what he wanted (apparently football IQ and versatility), identified the players and we went out and got them.

The best thing about this defense is that it’s so shifty and dynamic, you don’t need superstars to make it work. Pace goes down, Grugier-Hill comes in and plays just as well. League-average players like Pat Jones and Harrison Phillips can also have an impact. That keeps it unpredictable and hard to game plan for.

13 combined tackles and only 1.5 sacks in 5 games for Hunter....pretty slow start considering he signed a 2-year, $49 million contract.

[MaroonBells]

13 combined tackles and only 1.5 sacks in 5 games for Hunter....pretty slow start considering he signed a 2-year, $49 million contract.

No doubt. I think the Vikings (KAM, Flores) knew exactly what they were doing by letting the big money go and opting for a cheaper, more versatile rotation. You can scheme out a Hunter by rolling away or double teaming, but that's not much of an option when the rush is coming from every direction, even if they might be lesser players. Last year Hunter had 16.5 sacks, which was double the next highest player. Through 5 games, the Vikings have 19 sacks divided between 9 players.

[purplefaithful]

Bit off track, but inspired by this thread...

Viking fans deserve a KOC/FLO extension.

[1VikesFan]

Bit off track, but inspired by this thread...

Viking fans deserve a KOC/FLO extension.

KAM too, unless he's on a longer original contract. After the 2022 draft he and his staff have done a great job building this team.

[comet52]

13 combined tackles and only 1.5 sacks in 5 games for Hunter....pretty slow start considering he signed a 2-year, $49 million contract.

Projected out over the full contract that pace would average about 4.5 million per sack.