Kings of the North: Why the 5-0 Vikings are the NFL’s best team

Carmen Vitali

NFL Reporter

Are the Minnesota Vikings the best team in the NFL right now?

Headed into their Week 6 bye at a perfect 5-0, they have an incredible case.

Quarterback Sam Darnold, in the year 2024, is currently sixth in odds to win MVP, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. He has the second-most touchdown passes (11) behind only Joe Burrow, ranks third in air yards per completion and ranks in the top 10 in both success rate and quarterback rating, according to Next Gen Stats.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota defense has the second-most pressures of any team, the third-most sacks and, so far, has been un-figure-out-able. Yes, that’s the technical term.

The Vikings have trailed for just 3:26 of game clock through the first five games. That mark is only bested by the Greatest Show on Turf 1999 Rams, the 2023 49ers, the 1984 Dolphins and the 2009 Saints, per ESPN.

Each of those four teams made the Super Bowl and two of them won it all.

What’s ironic is that since 1990, six teams that started 5-0 have missed the playoffs and the Vikings account for two of those six.

But I’m not here to be pessimistic.

Minnesota is just one of two unbeaten teams left in the NFL. The other? The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, who don’t look super “Chiefs-like” at this current moment.

Darnold is the latest example of how much situation matters for a quarterback, in particular. He was drafted third overall in 2018 by the New York Jets. Todd Bowles was the head coach. Jeremy Bates was the offensive coordinator. Darnold is now on his fifth head coach and his sixth offensive coordinator in Minnesota. None of his previous coordinators still currently hold that title (except in the case of Kyle Shanahan, who was both Darnold’s head coach and offensive coordinator while he was a backup in San Francisco last year). Darnold was battered and many believed, broken.

But when the Vikings needed a bridge quarterback, they went and got Darnold, and I have a hard time believing there wasn’t some type of endorsement from Shanahan, who is good friends with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that Darnold had this in him all along. And maybe Shanahan was the one who saw it but didn’t need it.

Enter O’Connell.

Darnold thrived with O’Connell as his coach, which is perhaps the biggest validation of just how good O’Connell is at his job. It’s also a testament to the talent on Minnesota’s roster, though Darnold is outperforming his surroundings, even so. He ranks 11th in completion rate over expectation, which is an advanced metric that takes into account surrounding factors.

Darnold is also spreading the wealth, not only to the team’s No. 1 receiver in Justin Jefferson, but Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, backup tight end Johnny Mundt and running back Aaron Jones. Darnold is comfortable enough in the system already to exploit the favorable matchups created with so much attention on Jefferson, resulting in the Vikings offense having the fourth-most total EPA, according to PFF.

And if O’Connell is one of the best offensive coaches in the league, Brian Flores is one of the best defensive coaches. Now in the second year under Flores, Vikings players are more equipped to run his scheme to perfection. It’s a system that gives players a lot of autonomy on the field. Flores himself told me ahead of the 2023 season that ideally, players are making checks and certain calls themselves because they’re the only ones who are on the field. Flores doesn’t have the same vantage point they do. It’s his job to equip them with solutions to the problems they’re facing.

The result is an amoeba-like defense that doesn’t have a shape, doesn’t have many tendencies and is incredibly aggressive. Despite the fact that Minnesota is blitzing 19.7% less than they did last season when they led the league in blitz rate, they rank third in pressure percentage, per Pro Football Reference. The Vikings ranked 15th in that metric last year.

Perhaps the most telling stat of just how confusing Flores’ defense can be, is unblocked pressures. According to PFF, Vikings players have recorded 27 unblocked pressures, or free rushes. Opposing teams can’t keep track of who to block, and how could they? Flores is bending our notions of defensive positions and roles. He’s asking outside linebackers to drop into coverage. He’s simulating pressures and bringing defensive backs in on the rush. He’s making 35-year-old Harrison Smith start down in the box before running cover 2, where Smith is responsible for a deep half.

Five times this season, Flores has challenged opposing quarterbacks to figure out his scheme. Five times, they’ve failed.

The latest victim was the most experienced quarterback in the league: Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The notoriously intuitive quarterback threw not one, not two, but three interceptions on Sunday in London. One, by outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, went for a defensive score. It was just the fifth pick-six Rodgers has thrown in his 20-year career.

When the Vikings downed the San Francisco 49ers three weeks ago at US Bank Stadium — the 49ers that were expected to contend for the conference crown — quarterback Brock Purdy went up to Flores postgame and simply said, “Your scheme is crazy,” as he shook his head and walked off the field.

Minnesota has the best 1-2 punch at offensive and defensive playcaller in the league. They have a quarterback with renewed confidence and all the tools to succeed. They have a fantastic offensive line, a variety of offensive talent (and tight end T.J. Hockenson is eyeing his return from injury) and multiple players on defense capable of double-digit sack numbers this year.

They’re also all having a ton of fun, if Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus’ “Parent Trap” celebration in London is any indication.

That’s a recipe for success if I’ve ever seen one, and it’s the best one in the league, currently.

Carmen Vitali is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.