Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jared Goff admits what we already knew about Vikings DC Brian Flores

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Tyler Forness | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 10:31 AM ET

One of the biggest reasons why the Minnesota Vikings have been so good over the last two seasons has been due to defensive coordinator Brian Flores. It's not just Vikings fans that have taken notice, but players across the league have as well.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has taken notice after playing against him four time in the last two seasons, and said as much when he was interviewed by Kay Adams about the new season of Quarterback on Netflix.

"A ton (of respect), a ton. And I've been on the wrong side of his defense a lot, a lot of times," said Goff about Flores. "And I've been on the right side of it too, where it's been an immense challenge to try to overcome some of the things he does on defense, and when you're able to do that and have success against his defense, you feel pretty proud of yourself the way you handle things, because there is so much going on. But yeah, I think early in my career, he got me a couple of times, and the last couple of years, I'd say I'd have the upper hand. So we're even now, and I got a few more games against him this year."

Goff identifying how good Flores is shouldn't be much of a surprise. He gets it when it comes to good defense, as he's been a starting quarterback since the 2016 season when he was the first overall pick.

It's also been really interesting to see Goff play against Flores' defense. At times, Goff has been surgical, hitting his receivers quickly and exploiting the shallow parts of the Vikings' zone. In other instances, Flores has gotten the better of Goff with his unique pressure packages, as Goff's passer rating drops over 40 points when he's pressured versus when he isn't.

Despite winning both games against the Vikings last year, Flores got the better of him on multiple occasions, including two interceptions and two fumbles across both matchups.

How Flores chooses to play Goff this year with the improvement in the trenches on defense whereas the Lions interior offensive line got significantly weaker during the offseason.

Another interesting storyline for the Vikings entering the 2025 season.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: