The Minnesota Vikings have quite a bit to fix on offense when they come out of their bye week. There were some positive signs in their 23-13 triumph over the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, and head coach Kevin O’Connell will certainly attempt to build on one dynamic game from QB Kyler Murray as the team goes forward.
However, as the Vikings prepare for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, O’Connell knows he can count on his defense to step forward and do the job that is expected once again. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has built a unit that opposing offenses simply can’t figure out.
They know that Flores will blitz more than any other coordinator in the league, but they can’t figure out where the blitz is coming from. He has multiple players who can play anywhere on the field and cover multiple positions.
Players like safety Josh Metellus and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel are perfect examples of the Flores system that might see Metellus crash the pocket while Van Ginkel drops into the secondary or sneaks into the flat to break up or intercept passes.
Many great defenses need one player who can simply take over a game because of his strength, power, determination, anger or overall skill. Players like Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, Bruce Smith and Ray Lewis have manned those roles in the past. Aaron Donald of the Rams is a recent example and so is his new teammate, Myles Garrett.
The Vikings don’t have such a player on their defense, but they have inside linebacker Blake Cashman. He is not an overwhelming physical presence, but he is always in the right place at the right time and Flores can count on him to be the player who makes the key stop or diagnoses what the opposing offense wants to do and deliver an effective solution.
Cashman’s consistency is the key to his success
Cashman leads the Vikings with 42 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery, but he is much more than an accumulation of impressive numbers. He is dependable, tough, smart and effective.
Cashman is not one to take much credit for the Vikings’ defensive success, but he is quick to compliment Flores and the scheme the Vikings use.
“Organized chaos. Flo is a brilliant, innovative coach,” Cashman said, per NFL insider Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. “He understands how to limit an offense’s menu and then just always stress offensive line, quarterbacks, running back with his pressure presentation. He’s going to go down one way, and that way is pressure and blitzing.”
But as effective as the scheme is, it wouldn’t be effective without sensational players, and Cashman deserves as much credit as any of the big names starring on defense around the league.
