The Vikings’ defensive resume spoke for itself as the team raced to a 5-0 record.

The Vikings wrecked running back Daniel Jones in their win against the New York Giants. They harassed Brock Purdy in the win over the San Francisco 49ers. They disrupted CJ Stroud’s rhythm in a win against the Houston Texans. They beat the Green Bay Packers, forcing Jordan Love into a turnover, and beat the New York Jets, making Aaron Rodgers’ life miserable.

As the Vikings stifled their opponents on their way to establishing themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, it felt like the defensive coordinator Brian Flores was looking for during this particular stretch had worked out perfectly.

With Jared Goff’s loss to the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings are now back to the drawing board.

While looking for common issues that have been troubling defenses lately, Flores pointed out some small details in general and emphasized that the margin for error is very small when it comes to winning and losing.

Whether it was allowing a drive to be extended with a costly penalty or simply being out of position at a crucial moment, the Vikings didn’t do themselves any favors in their defeats against the Lions and Rams.

“They exploited things we didn’t do,” safety Josh Metellus said. “We need to get back to everyone doing their job every game.”

The most notable breakdowns the Lions and Rams were able to exploit came through the air. They hired extra blockers to relieve some of the pressure, then placed the ball in the open space between defenders and defensive backs and picked up the bulk of the yardage.

It’s safe to assume other teams will have similar game plans until the Vikings prove they can stop this.

“We’ve got to go out there and execute,” forward running back Jonathan Greenard said. “They can sit here and say they figured it out. We are not worried about them. “We’re going to worry about perfecting what we’re already running, tightening up some things and making some moves.”

NBC analyst Devin McCourty, who plays for Flores on the New England Patriots, said after watching film on the defense that he expects the Vikings to play even more aggressively when they host the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night.

Never mind that the pressure hasn’t been hitting home in the last few games

“He believes in coming down swinging,” McCourty said. “He will want to be aggressive and put pressure on the offense.”

That’s apparently what Flores was alluding to earlier this week when he promised to put his players in a better playing position. It’s just a matter of finding what the Vikings believe will work against the Colts.

“This is an ongoing chess match,” Flores said. “There is some back and forth in terms of dialogue. What can we handle? What’s too much? What is too little? “These are conversations that happen all the time.”

Time will tell if the Vikings can get back on track against the Cols. That will probably depend on whether he can solve some of the defense’s problems.

“I’m still really excited about what’s ahead of us,” Flores said. “I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Briefly

As expected, linebacker Blake Cashman will not play in the game between the Vikings and Colts. He did not practice this week as he continues to work his way back from turf toe.