Brian Flores and Vikings Present Biggest Challenge Yet for Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – Brian Flores carries a reputation in the NFL, and he is a pain for opposing coaches to prepare for. The Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator is one of the game’s elite tacticians, and Zac Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons offense will have their work cut out for them this Sunday. 

He creates puzzles for offenses, especially for young quarterbacks like Michael Penix Jr. 

“He's just a good defensive-minded coach,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said about whether this Sunday is a litmus test for his offense. “I just know he plays a really good form of defense. He has a really good style about himself, and he always presents a challenge, whether you're a rookie or you're a vet.”

One quarter was all it took to remember why Flores can be such a headache – suffocating coverages, pressure from everywhere, and a Bears offense that looked like it was shrinking under the lights on Monday Night Football. 

After the sluggish start through three quarters, the Vikings locked down the Bears’ offense, holding them to a success rate of just 28.6% in the final frame. 

In typical fashion for a Flores-coached team, the Vikings utilized zone blitzes on the Bears over 32.6% of their dropbacks last week, and generated pressures on 42.9% of those plays. On early downs, in particular, they blitzed on nearly half of all plays. By the end of the night, 10 different defenders recorded at least one pressure, with defensive linemen Javon Hargrave (2.0 sacks) and Jonathan Allen each tallying six of their own.  

These numbers are on par with what the Vikings were able to do last season, according to Next Gen Stats. Last fall, they generated the 7th-most pressures (114), tied for the 3rd-most quick pressures (44) from interior alignment, and had a pair of players finish last season with 11.5 or more sacks. 

They specialize in havoc, and that creates mistakes from opposing offenses. It's why the Vikings led the NFL in interceptions in 2024.

In short, the Vikings are ready and willing to send some heat. For Zac Robinson and this Falcons offense, the challenge isn’t just Flores’ schemes, it’s the uncertainty.

"They're a great challenge,” the Falcons' offensive coordinator said this week. “Very similar to last week with [Buccaneers Head Coach] Todd Bowles. I would say, on our schedule, those two are, from a schematic standpoint, make you think through everything, and so I've got a ton of respect for those guys.

“They definitely make you prepare for everything.”

In a road environment against one of the most formidable units he faced in his young career, Sunday will be a new challenge for Penix. To this point, the second-year player has risen to every bar set for him. This matchup with Flores could be his most difficult to date. 

“He's just very versatile,” Penix explained. “I feel like they do a great job with their different coverages, being able to switch things up based on certain formations, looks, emotions, and stuff that they do with their two-high – their shell defense – and how they can change all those things up.”

Despite a less-than-stellar 1-3 overall record as a starter, Penix has shown that he has the makeup of a top quarterback in this league. He orchestrated four separate game-winning or game-tying drives in those three losses, giving his team a chance to win. In each of those, his defense or his kicker ultimately let him down. 

He has done a good enough job thus far, but Robinson and the rest of this offense will need to elevate Penix in this game. That starts with their ability to run the ball more effectively than they did in Week 1, when they mustered a mere 48 yards between their running backs.

Execution against Tampa was lacking at times, and the Buccaneers were able to take advantage. If that happens again on Sunday against this Vikings defense, it could be a long night for the Falcons. 

Keeping in line with most metrics, the Vikings led the NFL in EPA/rush in 2024, were third in overall EPA allowed, fifth in sacks, and generally specialized in making life difficult on opposing offenses.

Flores doesn’t just test quarterbacks. He tries to expose them.

Sunday is another hurdle the Falcons’ quarterback needs to clear, and the lights will shine very bright to see if he can muster it.