The Minnesota Vikings had a high degree of success in the 2022 season under first-year head coach Kevin O'Connell. They delivered a 13-4 regular-season record, and they won the NFC North title.
After several years of chasing the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings gained control of the division, built a sizable lead and clinched the division title early. While the offense had some explosive moments behind quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, the defense was a major disappointment.
Despite their sensational record, the Vikings were actually outscored by their opponents. All four of their defeats were by sizable margins, and 11 of the Minnesota wins were by 8 points or less. The defensive showing in their 31-24 Wild Card loss to the Giants was an embarrassment, as New York quarterback Daniel Jones torched them for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Vikings fired defensive coordinator Ed Donatell after his first season with the team. Donatell is considered a smart and thoughtful defensive mind, and he quickly turned the Vikings into a 3-4 defense after years of playing 4-3 under previous head coach Mike Zimmer.
The results were poor, but it is not fair to pin the 31st-ranked defense solely on the coordinator. The Vikings played poorly on defense in both 2020 and 2021, so the defensive issues in 2022 were merely the continuation of a severe problem.
O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have to find a new defensive coordinator, but they also have to upgrade their personnel if the team is going to get past the Wild Card round of the playoffs
Brian Flores
Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for 3 years before he was fired at the end of the 2021 season. He is suing the NFL for discrimination, but he also took a job last season as the senior defensive assistant with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flores is smart, experienced and tough-minded. He might be the perfect complement for the warm, friendly and creative O'Connell. Even though the Vikings created a much-improved locker room this season, the essence of hard-nosed, punishing football was missing.
Flores can help get them on the right track in that area. He is a lot more than an old-school leader. He can diagnose what an opposing offensive coordinator wants to get done, and he can help the Minnesota defense get far more competitive.
Jerod Mayo
Mayo may be the hottest name the Vikings can consider for the position. He has been the New England Patriots inside linebackers coach, and that team has already said that they would like to keep Mayo and may offer him a position upgrade.
Obviously, if he decides to sign an extension with the Patriots that will take him out of the picture. However, the Vikings are not the only team that would like to consider Mayo, and that could give Mayo something to think about.
The Patriots were basically the opposite of the Vikings this season. Their offense stalled on a regular basis, but their big-play defense kept them in playoff contention through the final week of the regular season.
Mayo is not a miracle worker, but he should be able to upgrade the Vikings defense.
Vic Fangio
Fangio may be the top defensive mind of the current era. He has been a defensive consultant with the impressive Philadelphia Eagles this season, and that job came on the heels of his 3-year run as head coach of the Denver Broncos.
Fangio, 64, may not want to go back to being a defensive coordinator after having his run as a head coach. However, coaching a struggling defense like the Vikings and turning them around so they can match the offensive unit's productivity would be a huge feather in his cap.
Fangio is far more aggressive than Donatell, and he should be able to mold the personnel into a unit that goes all out on every snap. That was not the case in the 2022 season
If the y can bring a defensive expert in like Fangio and upgrade the personnel, the results in 2023 could be much improved for Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings.
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