Wake up. It’s officially football season.
Remember all those preseason games? The overreactions to undrafted free agents? The training camp clips you fawned over?
None of those matter now. The games officially count, and the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy begins.
As the Minnesota Vikings open up their season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the focus will be on their defense, which underwent significant changes during the offseason.
Those changes begin with a significant scheme switch (from zone heavy to blitz and man coverage) with the hire of defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The defense also sees new starters across the board.
Their first game will feature a potential tune-up for other opponents. The Vikings will face journeyman quarterback Baker Mayfield, who replaces future hall of famer Tom Brady. The offense, however, will still have plenty of weapons to support Mayfield, including a duo of wide receivers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin) capable of changing the game.
Here are the keys to victory for the Vikings’ new-look defense.