There is no doubt that the Minnesota Vikings are gambling on an untested quarterback in the 2025 season. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah used the No. 10 pick in last year’s NFL draft to take J.J. McCarthy to become the team’s QB1. Head coach Kevin O’Connell believes that McCarthy is ready to step in and take the team to an even higher level than they were at last year when they finished with a 14-3 record.
O’Connell’s greatest strength is his ability to get the most out of quarterbacks, and that’s probably the most important thing a head coach can do to ensure a team’s success in today’s NFL.
Go back to the first sentence of this column. McCarthy is untested, and even though the award-winning young head coach loves him, there are no guarantees. McCarthy is coming off a meniscus injury and that could slow him down. He could also turn out to be ordinary – or even worse than that. Neither Adofo-Mensah nor O’Connell are infallible. It’s possible they could be wrong.
If that happens, is there any chance the Vikings could succeed this season? Is there any part of the team that could take over and allow the team to play respectably and contend for a playoff spot?
If the offense plays haltingly and McCarthy struggles badly, defensive coordinator Brian Flores may be able to rescue the Vikings. The offense gets all the headlines because of O’Connell, McCarthy, Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones, but the defense could turn into a dominant unit this season.
Consider that the Vikings defense was among the worst in the league in both 2021 and 2022. The Minnesota defense looked like Swiss cheese in Mike Zimmer’s final season and was particularly vulnerable against the run. It wasn’t much better in O’Connell’s first season even though the Vikings won the division with a 13-4 regular season record.
Once that team hit the postseason, the defense was unable to stop the mediocre New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones. The defensive performance in that 31-24 loss at home could not have been worse.
Flores riding high with Vikings defense
Enter Flores, who was hired shortly after that pathetic performance. He brought immediate results as he built a middle-of-the-pack defense in 2023 and that unit improved significantly last season when they added linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman and Jonathan Greenard through free agency.
The Vikings were arguably a top-10 defense last season and they could be quite a bit better in 2025 since that threesome has a full year of experience in the Vikings system and the team has added veteran defensive ends Jonathan Allen from the Washington Commanders and Javon Hargrave from the San Francisco 49ers.
Allen and Hargrave are not threats to become first-team, All-Pro pass rushers. However, both are smart, tough-minded and experienced players who understand their responsibilities and will take care of business on an every-down basis. Their teammates won’t have to worry about any deficit when Allen and Hargrave are on the field.
Instead, their presence will allow their teammates to go about their business and be at their best. They should allow Van Ginkel, Cashman, Greenard and second-year pass rush specialist Dallas Turner to make big plays on a consistent basis.
If the offense struggles, the Vikings defense has a legitimate opportunity to take over and dominate. No longer is O’Connell hoping that his defense will contain the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens this season – those are the four best offensive teams on the Vikings schedule. He has confidence in Flores and the defense.
The Vikings filled their biggest defensive holes and their best players are in an even better position to succeed. More than that, Flores is coaching to put himself in a position that other teams can no longer ignore him when it comes to head coaching openings.
If the Vikings and Flores have a defense in the top 3, his reputation as a certified defensive genius will be written in bold type and he will get his second chance to become an NFL head coach.
The team and its defensive leader have a lot riding on the defensive performance this season. McCarthy, Jefferson and O’Connell may get the headlines, but Flores and the defense may just give this team the lifeline it needs to fight for a championship.
