EAGAN, Minn. — Brian Flores was on the headset, prodding his eyes in the booth, aching for an answer.

"Do we have it? Do we have hawk? Do we have it? Do we have it?" Flores asked over and again.

"And finally I called it – and they were driving to tie the game," the Vikings defensive coordinator remembered Tuesday afternoon. "They had gotten in scoring range, and I called it. And we got them."

Flores is 43 years old and has been part of four Super Bowl winners. He's entering his second season in charge of Minnesota's defense. In the past couple months, his scheme and interpersonal skills have attracted a batch of defensive free agents who will enact his plans for each and the group.

As training camp wanes a few days before the club's last chance to make decisions on the 53-man roster, Flores is relaxed. He's sprawled on a couch adjacent to the Gatorade Refuel Bar inside the hallways of Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.

It's a respite from the pressures of an incoming season. As Vikings players and staff respectfully stroll past, headed for the elevator or reaching for a beverage or snack, Flores recalls the night of Feb. 3, 2019.

Specifically, the 264 seconds the Patriots had to squash in Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams.

"We had been a blitz team, quite a bit, throughout the season," smirked Flores, downplaying the 30.9% blitz rate he deployed in 2018 as New England's defensive play caller. "[Sean] McVay is calling [the Rams offense] – and I was on the headset [for the Patriots]. In the first half, they were protecting the whole way; protecting against the blitz. As the game went on and they were down, I kept asking on the headset, 'Is it six-man [protection]?' "

Flores wanted a specific look. The Rams wanted an explosive play. When former L.A. quarterback Jared Goff took a shotgun snap on second-and-10 at the New England 27-yard line, he anticipated more time to scan the field.

But Flores sent the house with 4:24 remaining.

"It sped the quarterback's clock up in his head and he panicked a little bit – just in time for me to make a play," recalled newly minted Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore, standing near the uprights on the practice field. "We scored the drive before, and they were desperate. … I thought about pressing it [but] backed off at the last second. Goff just threw it up, and I was able to make a play on the ball and seal the game."

"[It was] perfect timing," added Gilmore, applauding Flores for inserting wrinkles that catch offenses off guard. "You never know what you're going to get. Sometimes he'll show you stuff and spin out of it."

Gilmore considers it "one of the biggest moments of my career." Flores says it's "the call that sticks out" in his journey as a play caller in the NFL and attests that "Gilly" made the biggest play in the 13-3 win.

It's special they're together, again.

Master of disguise

Vikings safety Harrison Smith knows a thing or two about deking offenses.

"That's something I've always hung my hat on – making it as hard on the quarterback as possible to get a read within the first second or two while still being able to do your job," Smith said Wednesday after a walk-through. "You don't want to get caught up in over-disguising stuff and then get beat on something simple. There's a balance to it. You want to make it make sense. You don't want to just do random stuff."

Gilmore and Smith, soon to be the third set of defensive back teammates since 1920 with 5+ Pro Bowls and 165 career games entering the season, agree about disguises: They're extremely useful.

"It's so important," expressed Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year who will man the perimeter for his fifth team in five seasons this year. "I've been to places where you just line up and play, and it's always hard because other coaches are getting paid, too, to scheme up against you."

It's why Gilmore is ecstatic to be reunited with Flores; why Smith is recharged as each enters Year 13.

Disguises are the crux of Flores' controlled chaos.

"I think it's important. I think the quarterbacks are good. I think the offensive coordinators are good. I think the offenses are good; there's great receivers everywhere. If you just line up and play, they're going to get you," insisted Flores, highlighting simple repetitions as the key to mastering disguises that keep offenses guessing. "I strongly believe that either you've got great, great players, like kickass players, and you're going to kick ass if you just line up and play. Otherwise, [offenses] know the snap count; they can shift and motion – we really can't. If you just line up and play, I think they will get you, personally.

"If we're in split-safety [coverage] it's got to look like Tampa, but we're not really playing Tampa – that's your disguise and vice-versa," added Flores, pointing out its multiplicity. "There's 50 other ways to do it."

Unraveling those strategies – i.e. Vikings defenders learning the why of what they're doing – allows players to grasp what Smith calls the "totality of the defense" and "take advantage of the little tweaks."

Such as swapping responsibilities or checking a call because of a perceived opportunity to make a play.

"I like to think that they've got autonomy and freedom to make a change and put themselves in the best situation," Flores said. "I tell them all the time: I'm not on the field. I have an idea of what's happening, but nobody has a better idea than a smart player. … If they can put themselves in a position to make a play, just by [switching jobs with a teammate], if they can do that, that's not a play call, that's them getting it done; that's me giving them the freedom to make that call – and I try to do that as much as I can even though there's instances where it's like, 'Man, if they just do what I say, it should work out.' "

Smith thinks Flores' scheme is liberating. Flores thinks liberating is a good descriptor.

"No coach has ever stepped on the field and won a game – players win games," Flores stressed that it's the Jimmys and Joes, not Xs and Os. "That's always the case and it'll always be the case. We've got really good players. They make it come to life. It's their team not mine. If they want to make a check, they want to make a call, they have an idea, we'll listen – I think they do a good job of making things come to life.

"It's not crazy. We're still playing within the defense, but there's things that can make your job and someone else's job easier," added Smith, observing the variability in Flores' scheme is to the max relative to other NFL defenses. "There's still a plan and a defense that exists but then within that there's some tools that you can use … [and] because we make it so interchangeable there's more options available."

Forcing the issue

If disguising structures is the action of Flores' defense, then backing offenses into corners is the objective.

It initially seems like a convoluted strategy. Rest assured it's not.

Flores lists a few defensive play callers he drew inspiration from: Dick LeBeau, Rex Ryan – particularly "when he had it going with the Jets" – and Mike Zimmer, the head coach of the Vikings from 2014-21.

Flores was struck by a replicable approach, one followed by long-time Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick for the past 24 seasons in New England.

"They were dictating terms," Flores said. "Whether they forced a team to get into protection looks, or forced a team to not run to the open side, or forced a team to not run a set of plays – they were crossing things off the menu because of what they were doing, keeping teams off-balance with different looks.

"Bill was a master of that, too," he added.

Flores divulged defenses that execute fundamentals, techniques and an attacking play style have a chance to be good. The ones that harmonize those things – and force the issue – are normally the best.

"As a defensive player, you're reacting to everything," explained Smith, to a degree an irrevocable disadvantage. "But you can [dictate] some plays here and there … and limit what [offenses] can do."

Flores' propensity for calling blitzes is a microcosm of his larger philosophy.

"The idea is to force the issue," Flores reiterated, expanding on a game of counting. "Force the issue and get people out of those opened-up formations because if you just line up like that, you've got to get the ball out, and if you bring people in, you're doing it to protect. It's dictating terms: Either you stay out of them and you don't get blitzed, or you get in those formations and you have a plan to get the ball out quicker. … In my mind, we're not leaving guys out to dry. You are dictating terms based on a number."

In plain English, Flores is dialing up pressures according to easy math. If five guys are left to protect, Flores will send six at the quarterback. If six are held in, maybe he'll force the issue with an all-out blitz.

At the point of the call, the success of a blitz boils down to a temperament over a specific skill.

"An attacking mentality," Flores imparted. "There's always swipes and dips, leans and rips and all these techniques, but it's more about an attacking mindset to go after your opponent and win the down."

Investing in reinventing

Flores' punctual blitz in the Super Bowl is his favorite play call. Makes sense. The sport's highest stakes. The game's grandest stage.

"Oh, it felt different," conveyed Flores. "It's not just another game, but you are just playing football. … Oftentimes the [basics] go out the window because of the anxiety and the pressure of that game."

Flores finished 2018 in a good place. He started strong, as well.

In his first game as New England's play caller that season, the Patriots defense recovered an aborted snap by former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. Flores said it was a tip of his cap to the players, obviously.

But it was momentous. An ounce of reassurance. Because hindsight is 20/20 as a first-time play caller.

"Your first third-down call. Your first second-and-long call. Your first first-and-15 call. Your first second-and-20 call. Your first 2-point call. You're sitting there going, 'Man, if I could do that over again, I would do X, Y and Z.' There's 50 of them that pop into my mind," Flores sighed. "I think that's part of coaching, that's part of playing – every experience, good or bad, is one that can help you moving forward if you allow it to. That's the message we give to the players, and I've got to take [it] on head-on myself."

Twenty years ago, Flores accepted a scouting assistantship on Belichick's staff, pursuing a life in football instead of an investment banking job in New York that was lined up after schooling at Boston College.

"My initial thought was 'Hey, I could be a general manager or something. I've got aptitude to do that,'" recalled Flores, debriefing his responsibilities as a gofer in the early days of New England's dynasty, which meant breaking down tape, grabbing coffees, driving people to destinations and being the grim reaper — as in the person charged with maybe the least-fun job in football, walking up to players who are cut.

Eventually, Flores told the Patriots he was leaving for a graduate assistant coaching role at the college level because he aspired to transition from the scouting offices to the sidelines. Flores was devastated, he said, after New England's 18-0 season was wrecked by Eli Manning's heroism in Super Bowl XLII.

"I figured if I'm going to feel like this I might as well get on the field and make a bit more of an impact," said Flores, surprised thereafter with an opening to assist Patriots special teams. "17 years later … here I am."

On the cutting edge of reworking schematics, consciously adapting to the explosion of NFL offenses.

"Six, seven years ago, there was no jet motion, there was no tight end-shoot motion," voiced Flores, scaling the extent of innovation implemented by offensive coaches. "Even going back further, the zone read really [took off] – it was before this but – [with] Russell Wilson in 2014. He was zone-reading and a lot of us in the league — it had been in-vogue in college — [were] trying to catch up. Same thing with RPOs. … Same thing with hurry-up – it's always been hurry-up, but the McVay-style of hurry-up where the tempo is changing at all times. You've got to evolve with the offensive minds that are in this league."

Flores hammers his creativeness in the spring and training camp. It's an appropriate setting for trial and error and allows defensive personnel an opportunity to experiment and potentially work out the kinks.

Then around the last preseason showing, he said he narrows down on his group's strengths and decides where the ship is headed. It's a collaborative process with players, assistants and candid back-and-forth.

"I spend a lot of time with our staff just talking about the strengths and weaknesses of the opponent and how to mitigate some of their firepower offensively or forcing the play into some of their weaker spots," said Flores, accentuating that it's a continual process he's still sharpening. "I think I've grown that way. Every year is different, and I feel like I'm always trying to reinvent myself, trying to get a little bit better."

The 2023 breakout of Vikings do-it-all defender Joshua Metellus epitomizes Flores' efforts to innovate.

Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round pick, entered last season with 328 defensive snaps under his belt. He was relegated to special teams, where he had done well, for the majority of his first three NFL seasons. Then Flores unlocked – rather, identified – his versatility, resulting in Metellus playing 1,065 snaps.

"I think special teams had a lot to do with that – you've got a guy who can move a lot in different ways," Metellus clarified during the first week of training camp. "Some of those things just translate to defense, like getting off blocks and tackling. "[My role was] an idea, and obviously I had to go out and put the work in."

And Metellus did to the highest degree. He realized his work ethic is comparable to his coach.

"Me and Flo are very similar," said Metellus, commending the example Flores sets. "He's a guy who, first thing in the morning – 4:30-5 o'clock, he's getting things rolling. Multiple times I've seen him in the building – we come in at the same time, and you can just see that look on his face like he's just cooking something up, and I know in two hours I'm going to get a text … from one of the other guys, like 'Yeah, Flo' just thought about this.' It's really cool to see guys constantly trying to get better."

The wildest part of Metellus' monster leap forward is that it was a mere glimpse of what's possible in Flores' system. It was an introduction to techniques and assignments of several positions. Metellus said his focus was seeing the ball and going after the ball. He's learning the depths of his abilities now.

Metellus excitedly summarized what being an understudy of Flores is all about: "You get to the top, you change your game – you always find a way to get better. You find a way to change your game and do something different because you can't stay stagnant. You're either getting better or getting worse. It's cool to see that go from his head, to the practice field, and we put it together on game day."

Gaining and giving

Flores recently fielded a phone call from one of his best friends.

Augie Hoffmann met Flores during their official visits to Boston College. Hoffmann was a First-Team All-Big East offensive lineman in 2003. He gravitated to Flores because he's a "good human being." Their bond was strengthened as annual roommates at fall camp – and on hours-long drives from Boston to Jersey on the weekends. Hoffmann had a stint in the NFL as a player and has spent several seasons coaching in the college ranks. Now, he leads the football program at his alma mater, Saint Joseph Regional High School.

"They were dabbling in some of the hot-coverage that we used last year," said Flores, echoing the conversation he had with Hoffmann. "Augie had some reservations about running it in high school. He asked me what our rules are. He was very animated about there being a lot of space. 'How do you defend this? How do you defend that?' … We had some dialogue about it, me and him. I told him our rules and said, 'Hey if you want me to get on a Zoom with your guys, I've got no problem with that.' "

Similar conversations occur quite a bit according to Flores – with people wanting to try something new.

It prompts the Vikings defensive coordinator to say, "Not that I have all the answers – I don't."

Flores is searching for them, though. Incessantly. As a young scout he studied the greats. With the Patriots organization, he sought dialogue with every new face. He has a dire impulse to gain insight.

"I always [tried] in the instances where you can," said Flores, speaking of his effort to acquire knowledge as he was building relationships and a foundation in New England. "You couldn't run up to LeBeau and say, 'Hey, talk to me about these fire zones,' or run up to Zimmer and be like, 'Talk to me about all-up or mug-looks.' Certainly with Belichick. Certainly with guys who came on the staff – Bret Bielema joined the staff one year; Dom Capers was on staff one year, and I picked his brain for hours. I'm constantly trying to learn and trying to improve and get better, and I'm very happy to pay it forward, as well."

It means a lot to Hoffmann.

"That's the first thing that people need to know about him," Hoffmann emphasized Monday morning over the phone. "He's a great coach – he's just a great man. … If you need him, he's there for you."

Hoffmann believes that Flores' play-calling style portrays his personality.

"He's savvy. He's super-savvy," Hoffmann explained. "I think part of that is where he comes from. He comes from a rough area in Brownsville, so you've always got to be eyes up. He went to a great high school in Poly Prep, so he's obviously got the book smarts to him. He's kind of got the total package.

"Nobody is surprised [at his success]," Hoffmann added. "I don't think anybody that knows him is shocked at what he's been able to accomplish. … I think everybody thought 'Yeah, it makes total sense. The guy works his [tail] off and he deserves what he gets.' … You're not going to ever out-tough him."

Hoffmann loved Flores dialing the heat in the Super Bowl against Los Angeles. A savvy call at a critical moment, aligning with Hoffmann's assertion that Flores always finds a way to be in the right spot at the right time: "It just made sense because that's who he is – when he gets on you, it's over," Hoffmann said.

A big smile flashed when Flores was told of Hoffmann's compliments. The architect of the Vikings defense doesn't gloat in his successes. He's mindful of his trials and errors – and the work in front of him.

"I think savviness just comes with finding a way to get things done," Flores remarked with an unmissable gratitude. "Finding a way to help people put themselves in good positions to succeed."