The Vikings have struggled on defense lately. Can they bounce back against the Colts?

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

The Vikings reduced Daniel Jones to rubble in a win over the New York Giants. They made Brock Purdy uncomfortable after beating the San Francisco 49ers. They knocked C.J. Stroud out of rhythm in a win over the Houston Texans. They forced Jordan Love to fumble in a win over the Green Bay Packers and made life miserable for Aaron Rodgers in a win over the New York Jets.

It felt like whatever number defensive coordinator Brian Flores dialed during that particular stretch was worked to perfection as the Vikings stifled their opponents en route to establishing themselves as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Now it’s all back on the drawing board for the Vikings after being stripped by Jared Goff in a loss to the Detroit Lions and Matthew Stafford doing the same in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Looking for commonalities that have been plaguing defenses lately, Flores pointed out some small details across the board, emphasizing that the margin for error is very small when it comes to winning and losing.

Whether it was extending the drive with a costly penalty or simply getting out of position at a crucial moment, the Vikings didn’t do themselves any favors in their losses to the Lions and Rams.

“They took advantage of something we didn’t do,” safety Josh Metellus said. “We just need to get back to everyone doing their job every game.”

The most noticeable breakdowns that the Lions and Rams were able to take advantage of occurred in the air. They kept extra blockers to alleviate some of the pressure and then moved the ball into the vacated space between the midfielders and fullbacks to take chunks of the ball.

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

“We’ve got to go out and execute,” edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “They can sit here and say they got it. We don’t worry about them. We’ll be worried about improving what we’re already using, tightening up some things and playing some games.”

After watching film of the defense, NBC analyst Devin McCourty, who played for Flores with the New England Patriots, noted that he expects the Vikings to play even more aggressively when they host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. “Y.S. Bank Stadium.”

It doesn’t matter that the pressure hasn’t eased over the last couple of games.

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

Flores seemed to hint at as much earlier this week when he vowed to give his players the best opportunity to play. It’s just a matter of finding what the Vikings think will work against the Colts.

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

It remains to be seen whether the Vikings can bounce back against the Coles. It will likely depend on whether the defense can solve some of its problems.

“I’m still very excited about what’s to come,” Flores said. “Looking forward to this weekend.”

Briefly

It’s no surprise that linebacker Blake Cashman was ruled out of the game between the Vikings and Colts. He has not trained this week as he continues to return from the turf.