Horrible Harry Is Excited.

October 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (97) during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory credit: Pieter van den Bergh-USA TODAY Sports.

Unless the Minnesota Vikings want to reach the very bottom of the NFL’s basement, this is the only place to go Above With regards to the team’s defense in 2023.

Under Ed Donatelle, who left the organization four days after the Vikings lost to the New York Giants in the postseason six months earlier, Minnesota was 30th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed. not ideal.

Horrible Harry is excited.

The club later hired Brian Flores to wash away the sins of 2022, and promised to showcase an offensive and blitz-happy setup in 2023.

And there’s one Viking new signing — defensive tackle Harrison Phillips — that’s excited.

Phillips joined the Vikings via free agency last year, signing a three-year, $19.5 million deal through March 2022. He played in all 17 games in his first year with Minnesota, recording 59 total tackles, 6 QB hits, 3 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks – en route to an amazing 72.1. pro football focus Category.

Now, that man’s surname terrible harry The newcomer is explaining his enthusiasm about the 2023 defense under Flores. Phillips recently joined SiriusXM Radio and said, “I loved the way Donatel talked about partnerships and connections and some of the things we’ve done. It was a fun season last year. But moving forward this year, man, the offseason schedule has been really good.

Minnesota had a strange tendency to struggle on defense in quarters 1-3 in 2022, but when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, the group magically came out strong and helped close out the football game. Well, this strategy worked until the playoffs – then it flopped.

Phillips concluded about the 2023 defense’s outlook, “People are flying around, people are excited about different packages and different personnel and the versatility we have as a defense.”

And elements of versatility and aggression have been an offseason theme for the Vikings defense, at least in theory and on paper. In June, Defensive Backs Coach Daronte Jones commented“It will probably be similar to Zim in terms of the same aggression and mindset. We want the quarterback to dominate and dictate.”

Flores served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, and he was known for the defense Phillips mentioned. Frankly speaking, the Vikings swung the pendulum when hiring Flores, disregarding the turn-don’t-break mantra given by Donatel and bedazzling Flores with an always-blitz-always mentality.

Even if Minnesota’s defense isn’t gangbusters in year one under Flores, it will clearly feel and look different.

Vikings also ranked 27th defensive dvoa Last year, making his 13-4 record all the more incredible.

dustin baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel, vikesnow, He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinney, which airs every Wednesday raun sah And Sal Masala, His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. List of guilty pleasures: Peanut butter ice cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Bassett Hounds, and The Doors (band).

All data provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathed, All contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com,

Horrible Harry is excited.

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