Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium moved the Minnesota Vikings to 6-0 on the season. Once again, it was Brian Flores’ defense that carried the day, while Kevin O’Connell’s offense struggled.

Through six games, the Vikings rank at the top of most defensive metrics that matter. They are tied for first in sacks (3.5 per game) and second in both yards allowed (252.8) and takeaways (11). And if your offense does manage a few first downs without giving the ball away, good luck scoring points.

How good is the Vikings defense

Entering Week 8, Flores & Co. have allowed just 74 total points on the season. For the non-math wizards, that’s 12.3 points per game, easily the lowest mark in the NFL. In fact, no other defense in the league is allowing fewer than 17 points per game. An even crazier stat — they’ve allowed just THREE points total in the fourth quarter so far this season.

The offense, meanwhile, is just trying to keep its head above water until it (hopefully) figures out how to move the ball efficiently and consistently with Kyler Murray under center.

While the Vikings defense has been suffocating every opponent in its path, the offense continues to try and choke itself out, scoring just 20.8 points (23rd in the NFL) on 281 yards per game (29th).

Minnesota Vikings coaches land on early Jets head coach short list

Thus, nobody was shocked this week when NFL insider Ben Allbright (KOA Colorado) — replying to a Jets fan on X — put Brian Flores on his shortlist of way-too-early job candidates to replace Aaron Glenn in New York, after the Jets fell to 2-5 Sunday with a 28-25 loss to the Dolphins, who entered Week 7 winless on the season.

However, it was a bit surprising to see another Minnesota Vikings coach listed… offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, along with Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Hat-tip to VikingzFanPage on X for finding this hidden scoop first. It’s probably important to note that Glenn has not been fired by the Jets just yet. With that being said, he was already on the hot seat coming into the 2026 season.

Unless things get turned around out East ASAP, he’s expected to be one of the first head coaches ousted, as teams prepare to conduct interviews in a few short months. Through nearly 1.5 seasons, Aaron Glenn is 5-19 as Jets head coach.

Brian Flores and the New York Jets have history

Brian Flores joined the Vikings on Feb. 6, 2023. The season before, Minnesota’s defense ranked 31st in the NFL (388.7 yards per game). By his third season (2025) they ranked third (282.6 yards per game).

Flores is the only one of the four with NFL head coaching experience. He went 24-25 with the Dolphins from 2019 to 2021, including back-to-back winning seasons to close his run in Miami. He is also a Brooklyn native.

The Jets have already been down this road with him once. New York interviewed Flores for its head coaching job in January 2025, before hiring Glenn. The Chicago Bears talked to him in that same cycle.

This past January, Flores interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens and landed a second interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers, before ultimately signing an extension with the MN Vikings that was announced on Jan. 22.

Wes Phillips’ resume as Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator

Meanwhile, Wes Phillips (son of Wade Phillips) is in his fifth season as the Vikings offensive coordinator. He came over with O’Connell in 2022, from the Los Angeles Rams, where he was the pass game coordinator and tight ends coach for the Super Bowl LVI champions.

His role is different from a typical coordinator’s, though. O’Connell calls the plays, while Phillips helps build the game plan during the week. Phillips has also turned down a chance to leave before.

After the 2022 season, he turned down a request to interview for the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator job, which would have come with play-calling duties. He has never been a head coach and hasn’t interviewed for an NFL head coaching job.