Harrison Smith: Playing in Brian Flores’ Vikings defense is ‘so much fun’ | PSNFF | NFL on NBC

Harrison Smith: Playing in Brian Flores’ Vikings defense is ‘so much fun’ | PSNFF | NFL on NBC

Harrison Smith making his way out. The real Harrison. Hey coach, real quick as he gets set, what is it like for a quarterback to walk up to the line of scrimmage like Prescott did tonight and look at this Flores defense? What’s so challenging about it? The tough thing is you see six, seven guys up there and you don’t know exactly who’s coming. So you try to protect against everybody and then sometimes they don’t come and you’ve got to figure it out. But you also don’t want to get your running backs on tough assignments where they’ve got to block big linebackers or big defensive linemen. So it’s tough and maybe we can hear about it. What makes it so tough from this man? Hey, we’re talking about this defense right now. Harrison Smith first and foremost. Welcome to Sunday Night. My friend, you know Coach Dunie, you know Rodney Harrison. What is it about this defense that can sometimes make a veteran quarterback that looks so good week after week and look so confused? How do you do it? Um there’s a lot of things within the defense that that Flo kind of builds in and allows us to be a little bit creative and flexible with and um when you have a bunch of guys that understand the game and can communicate on a high level, it allows us to do some things that I haven’t done in my whole career and it it makes it a lot of fun and puts puts some of the game on on us. I like that. Brian Flores actually told us that he said that he basically gives you the freedom to blitz whenever you want. basically to be Troy Palamalo of this defense and do whatever you want. Rodney Harrison. How do you take that compliment? Um, I don’t take it lightly. It means a lot. Um, and we’ve kind of had had this thing grow over the last three years together and he he has so much faith in us as players to go out and execute it and we want to make him right because it’s so much fun for us to do it. Um, and I know you like those opportunities when no one blocks you when you’re coming to the quarterback. Of course. That’s that’s what is kind of built in. Like if I think that’s the look, I’ll I’ll probably keep it on. If I don’t, I might switch it up. So, you have the flexibility at the line of scrimmage to get out of blitzes sometimes. Coach Brian Flores told us and you were standing right there, Harrison Smith has the freedom to do whatever he wants. He can blitz, he can drop, he he can call whatever he wants. Going up against a Dak Prescott, what were some of the biggest challenges facing Dak in particular? Oh, Dak’s I mean Dak’s great. um one of the best drop back quarterbacks in the game and you know he’s still he still hit us on a lot of plays today. Um but just trying to get him a little bit uncomfortable and then make it muddy sometimes. Um you know and then we got four guys up front getting after him too when we’re not blitzing. So uh just really mixing it up, not making it clear for him every snap. What would I was going to ask you how did you guys the mindset tonight? you found out that you’re out of the playoffs, but you still came in with this energy and this desire to play great. Where where did that come from? You know, it’s just there’s a lot of pride when you step between the white lines. And that’s really all it is. It’s nothing nothing beyond that. Just if there’s if you’re rolling the ball out, we’re playing hard. What was the game plan with those explosive wide receivers? I know initially Blo said, “We’re going to keep our safeties back, but he changed up that game plan with the quickness and then you guys started getting that pressure.” Yeah, they, you know, they hit us on a few things early. Um, and we were trying to take away some of the things they like to do, but they were still having some success. So, we kind of got into what we were talking about as far as he heating them up when we can and then getting out of it when we don’t think it’s there. Was there a moment on the sideline where you guys got together and coach said, “Hey, we’re we’re going to dial up this pressure a little more.” Oh, of course. I mean, with be flow, it happens almost every week anyways. So, like that’s when you know somewhere along the line, right? I got a quote, man. How does it feel to see look up in here and see all these Minnesota Viking fans come out and support you? It’s um it’s phen like these are the best fans. We’ve we’ve never had a Super Bowl. We find out we’re out of the playoffs today and the you know these folks still show up and cheer and support us. Um best fans. Year 14 for you. What’s the plan after this? Harrison, I’m just enjoying day by day. You know how it is when you’re getting towards your later years. You know, it’s it’s harder to go to practice. It’s hard to get ready to go every time, but you know, on on game day, I always feel ready. But you also appreciate the process every single day, getting up. Absolutely. Doing things you don’t feel like doing. That’s all part of it, isn’t it? It’s absolutely part of it. I’ve I’ve always been on top of my body. Um you know, my nutrition, everything. And it’s um it it doesn’t it’s not fancy or anything, but you stay on top of it, it stacks up over the years. But just for the record, man, I I think you should get Hall of Fame considering, man. You got some big wanted to tell you that, bro. Yes, sir. Hey, uh, tell us a little bit about your quarterback, JJ McCarthy. What, uh, what you saw in him tonight. Yeah, he’s, um, he’s stacked two good weeks for sure. Um, you can tell he’s starting to get settled in. Um, kind of know when to go for it, know when to take some positive yardage, use his legs. Um, you know, that keeper was a nice nice design play there. Um, so he’s, you can tell he’s starting to figure it out. Build some chemistry with the guys. Couple good receivers for the Cowboys. Playing against those guys, what makes them different? Pickkins and CD Lamb. Oh, they’re I mean they’re they’re phenomenal. You turn on the tape. I mean CD, he’s been doing it for years now, so kind of know who he is. Pickins is he just jumps off the tape. He’s taking, you know, slants for touchdown, 50 yard touchdowns. So it was we were very aware coming into the game. These two guys are are two highlevel number one receivers on the same team. Um so just having awareness of where they’re at at all times and your corners did a pretty good job on them tonight. Absolutely. It’s it’s a tall task that locker room you just came out of in this type of year. What was the message? What was the feeling coming on the road and getting a win like this? Uh you know kind of like we mentioned it’s it’s bumped out of the playoffs today. We realize it, but when you get an opportunity to play, you get to play on Sunday night football in front of the country. Y, you know, like what else do you want? Um, you you get to play football at the highest level against great competition in this beautiful arena. Um, that’s what that’s what the highest level’s about. That’s what it’s about. That’s what’s made you great for so long, man. We’ve been with you for a long time. Celebrate with Yes, sir. Great work tonight. Good to see you. All right. Enjoy that flight back to Minnesota. Always good to see you. Hi, I’m Mike Tico and thanks for watching. Make sure to hit subscribe for the latest news and highlights from NBC Sports.

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Harrison Smith joins Jac, Rodney and Tony to explain how Brian Flores’ defensive scheme allows players to be ‘creative and flexible,’ how it feels to have a strong Vikings crowd on the road in Dallas and more. #NFL #SNF #NBCSports #PeacockTV
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Harrison Smith: Playing in Brian Flores’ defense is ‘so much fun’ | PSNFF | NFL on NBC
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