Brian Flores Threw Some Chin Music at Kevin O’Connell
Brian Flores, affectionately referred to as The Mad Scientist in the Twin Cities, has a bit of a reputation. He isn’t afraid to get frisky on the football field by experimenting with different looks. The practice field is no exception.
Sometimes, those new strategies and approaches can confound a great football mind: Flores’ boss. Kevin O’Connell chatted with the media recently, noting that Ryan Kelly was confused about how to adjust in response to something Flores’ defense was showing. O’Connell had to embrace humility, acknowledging that it was a new look and he didn’t have an answer in the moment, either.
Brian Flores Can Still Confound and Confuse
Combine Coach O’Connell with C1 Ryan Kelly.
The pair have seen a ton, so getting them to back off the plate isn’t easy. Each has proven to be quite adept in the batter’s box (so to speak), capable of hitting all kinds of pitches. Forcing both to take a step back — and at the same time, no less — means that Flores’ fastball has some velocity behind it.
Consider how O’Connell described the situation: “Today [Brian Flores] ran some stuff I didn’t even know that was in there. Ryan Kelly turned to me and asked me how to target a run, and I said, ‘Your guess is as good as mine, I got no idea what they’re doing over there.'”
Being able to confuse Ryan Kelly is impressive stuff. We’re talking about a nine-year veteran who was drafted in the 1st. He has since been honored as a second-team All Pro and be a Pro Bowl nominee four times. Getting something past him isn’t easy.
Even more impressive is outfoxing the head coach, who is the league’s reigning Coach of the Year. O’Connell is (like Flores) a sophisticated tactician, one who demands much from his players — especially the quarterbacks — when it comes to brain power. Flores can still trip him up from time to time, a good reminder that Minnesota’s coaching staff operates at a high level of football knowledge.
Also fascinating were the further reflections for what’s in store for training camp. Per Kevin O’Connell, there are going to be times when Brian Flores makes him pretty mad. And, in fairness, there are going to be times when O’Connell looks to return the favor.
“It’s happening and it’ll happen in training camp,” O’Connell explains, “I’m sure there will be one day where I’m mad at him or he’s mad at me and then we have a big old hug after practice and move on […] Flo and I, we wouldn’t be our authentic selves unless we were competing and trying to have the best of our team come out for the betterment of our team.”
On Sundays, a chess match takes place. Rival teams seek to exploit Minnesota’s weaknesses while allowing their own talent to shine. Meanwhile, Minnesota is looking to do likewise, attacking (real or perceived) weaknesses while attempting to allow the top talent to put together a great performance.
Oftentimes, the team that successfully magnifies the opposition’s weakness while allowing their own strength to shine is the one that scores more points. In turn, the game is won and the challenge begins again the following week.
Even in something like minicamp and training camp, Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores are leaning into those realities. Recently, Flores got the best of O’Connell, tossing a fastball that forced the head coach off of the plate. The good news is that O’Connell welcomes the approach and promises to do the same once he gets the chance to step onto the mound.
The Vikings’ training camp gets going in late July.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
