Minnesota's defense spent Week 1 blitzing at a rate rarely seen in the NFL over the past several seasons, and the approach is now shaping how Chicago prepares for its upcoming Week 2 matchup against the Vikings, according to VikingsTerritory.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores sent extra rushers after Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love on 78.3% of his dropbacks, the fourth-highest single-game blitz rate by any defense since at least 2018, per NFL Next Gen Stats data cited by VikingsTerritory. The results were uneven across the game: Minnesota allowed 189 yards and two touchdowns on blitzes in the first half, then recorded four sacks and an interception on blitzes after halftime, the outlet reported.
Several Vikings defenders factored into the pressure, including Dallas Turner and Blake Cashman, with additional contributions from Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jalen Redmond, Eric Wilson and Andrew Van Ginkel, according to the report.
VikingsTerritory frames the strategy as a form of psychological pressure on opponents, arguing that Flores' willingness to blitz at extreme rates — even after being burned early against Green Bay — sends a signal to future opponents that they need detailed protection plans ready. The outlet notes Flores has previously discussed his own background coaching offense, which it suggests informs his approach to attacking blocking schemes as a defensive coordinator. That framing reflects the outlet's interpretation rather than confirmed strategy from the Vikings or Bears.
The Vikings are scheduled to face the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 20, in a Week 2 matchup. VikingsTerritory raises the question of whether Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson can build sufficient answers into their protection calls and play design to handle Minnesota's blitz packages. The outlet's suggestion that Chicago's coaching staff is already scrambling to find blocking solutions is presented as speculation on its part rather than anything confirmed by the Bears organization.
Any comparison of Chicago's offensive personnel or Johnson's play-calling relative to Green Bay's approach reflects the outlet's own assessment rather than a settled fact, and the outcome of Sunday's game remains undetermined as of this report.