The Vikings Might Have a Secret Coach in the Organization
Brian Flores has been in charge of Minnesota’s defense since the 2023 offseason, when the Vikings decided to move on from Ed Donatell after only one season as defensive coordinator. He has completely revamped the unit, and some of his players have emerged as stars.
The Vikings Might Have a Secret Coach in the Organization
Among those is safety (and every other position) Joshua Metellus. The long-time special-teams ace has become a standout performer under Flores’ tutelage. The coach has relied on the defender’s football IQ, playing him all over the field.
On Friday, in the final preseason contest of the year, Metellus once more showcased his understanding of the defense. He revealed later in the game that he called plays on a defensive drive. Often in the preseason, assistant coaches take over play-calling. For the Vikings, DB coach Daronte Jones and LB coach Mike Siravo got that opportunity, and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips had some more say on offense.
Players calling plays, however, is new. The Swiss Army Knife might even be more versatile than expected. Asked about his versatility, he said during Friday’s game: “They moved me around the whole defense last year. A lot of it is showing looks to get the offense to think we’re doing one thing and playing something else. But shoutout to the coaching staff for being able to trust me to even do stuff like this, they let me call a series today, so that was really cool.”
Metellus signed a new long-term extension this summer, and he’s now finally paid what he’s worth. His previous deal was signed in the 2023 offseason, right before he exploded under Flores.
At the age of 27, he definitely has some more years left leading the Vikings’ defense, but a future in coaching could be an option considering his head start. Asked about a coaching career, he noted that his wife would have a say, “We’re trying it out. Today felt pretty good. I’d have to convince my wife, though. I don’t know how she’d feel about all that time being in the building. It felt good to call some plays, have a little bit of power.”
After the game, folks wanted to know which series it was and how it went. The defender posted on social media, “I called the second series In the second half, If anyone cares lmao shout out to the coaches!”
That drive ended rather quickly, as the Titans had to punt it away without gaining a first down. Getting support from an offensive holding penalty on first down helped the interim play-caller.
To call plays but also to play all over the field, Metellus has to understand the entire defense, not just his responsibility at safety, cornerback, or linebacker.
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue described his weekly schedule last week: “Atypical of most players across the NFL, Metellus now attends meetings in multiple position rooms. He starts his week by watching an opponent’s first- and second-down tendencies the Monday after games.”
So far, that’s a normal week. But from now on, things get spicy.
“On either Wednesdays or Thursdays, he’ll be with the linebackers working on run fits. When the pass rush plan is finalized, Metellus goes to those meetings, too, and reps into those drills on the field. He ends back with the coverage players to make sure he’s understanding how the entire puzzle fits together. Flores holds large multi-position installation meetings throughout the week so that defenders can understand the larger purpose behind each others’ roles. It’s a good thing, too, because the defensive coordinator has been known to change elements of the game plan as late as Friday or Saturday.”
Over the last two seasons, Metellus played in every game and logged over 2,000 snaps on defense, in addition to playing over 400 snaps on special teams. Full-time defenders usually skip those, but not the former Michigan Wolverine.
In those two campaigns, Metellus registered three interceptions, five forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and 219 tackles. Last season, he lined up everywhere, “Last season, Metellus rarely came off the field and handled 59 snaps on the edge (19 pass rushes), 69 as a defensive tackle (27 pass rushes), 408 as a linebacker, 267 in the slot, 17 at cornerback, 98 at free safety and 20 at strong safety,” Rob Kleifield of Vikings.com detailed.
Back in 2023, during OTAs, when the Vikings installed Flores’ crazy defensive scheme, Metellus was asked about his versatility. He revealed in June of 2023, “So far I’ve played nickel and safety, so I’ve moved around. I played in dime last year a little bit. It was already on tape that I can play those spots. Yeah but I love football. So learning the whole defense, I was planning on doing that anyways. Now they are telling me to do it, so it is falling to what I was already planning to do. It’s just learning the defense as a whole instead of just my spot at safety.”
He learned the entire defense in 2023, and suddenly, it makes sense that he’s the player calling plays in a preseason game.
In the upcoming season, his role could change a little following Cam Bynum’s exit. More safety duties could be on his to-do list. Regardless, it would be foolish to waste his potential as the Joker on defense, or X-Man, as the Vikings call his role.
Hopefully, Metellus can roam around the defense for many more years, but eventually, he might be a future defensive coordinator.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.