Stephon Gilmore’s wisdom shows in the championship-caliber swagger Vikings cornerbacks will take into game vs. Lions

These were the five cornerbacks Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had to work with when tasked with taming Jared Goff and the high-flying Detroit Lions twice in a year-ending 14-day stretch that sucked the last gasps of life from a dismal 2023 season:

Akayleb Evans, a second-year player Flores had benched (92 snaps, two starts vs. Detroit); Mekhi Blackmon, a rookie (39 snaps, one start); Andrew Booth Jr., a second-year draft bust (70 snaps, one start); Joejuan Williams, a street free agent (31 snaps); and Jaylin Williams, a rookie free agent (24 snaps).

Goff completed 73.6% of his 72 passes for 577 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. The Lions went 2-0, scoring 60 points. Nick Mullens threw six picks … yada, yada … and the Lions wrestled the NFC North crown from the Vikings on Christmas Eve at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Fast forward 10 months, and guess how many defensive snaps those five cornerbacks have played for the 5-0 Vikings and their No. 4 scoring defense (15.2 points per game) as they head into Sunday’s home game against the 4-1 Lions and their top-ranked scoring offense (30.2).

Three. All by Evans.

Williams and Williams are out of football. Booth was traded. Blackmon is on injured reserve.

“It’s going to be different,” safety Cam Bynum put it diplomatically when asked to describe the difference between then and now at cornerback.

“A lot more experience helps. Just knowing on third down, on the money downs, when you need to get that Lions offense off the field with tight coverage, we have really good, experienced corners across the board that can play more coverages and get it done. That veteran presence at cornerback, it’s really been a difference-maker this year.”

Byron Murphy Jr., the 26-year-old who’s back from a late-season injury a year ago, has five starts and 309 snaps (87%). Stephon Gilmore, the decorated 34-year-old signed in desperation the morning after the second preseason game, has five starts and 306 snaps (86%). Shaq Griffin, the 29-year-old signed early on in free agency, has no starts but has played a key role with 197 snaps (55%). And other than Evans’ three snaps, that’s it.

“Give [Flores] credit because it’s not normal to have a three-man rotation at corner like we’re doing it, but it works perfectly,” Griffin said. “I don’t think any of us expected to rotate like we do. But we’re all healthy. We’re fresh. We’re winning. I like it.”

Including playoffs, the trio has 322 career starts, led by Gilmore (171), a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time first-team All-Pro and 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Each has an interception this year, including Gilmore’s game-sealing pick that beat the Jets in London in Week 5 with a textbook example of how to defend fellow future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers’ famous back-shoulder throw.

“I think our confidence at corner right now is at an all-time high,” Murphy said. “We brought guys in to help us with that. Gilly is one of the greatest ever. And the best part is he’s still great.

“And he makes the rest of us better. You can ask him anything and he has the answer. He brings confidence to the room because he brings knowledge to the room.”

Vikings fans getting to know Gilmore a little better won’t be shocked to learn which professional athlete he has admired most from the sandlots of Rock Hill, S.C., through a storied 13-year NFL career.

He mentions this all-time idol while being asked about the interception that closed out Rodgers and the Jets when they faced third-and-10 from the Vikings 26-yard line while trailing 23-17 with 44 seconds left.

“I feed off of those situations; I just love those moments because Michael Jordan is one of my favorite athletes of all time,” Gilmore said. “Michael said one time that anybody can be great up by 10, up by 15. But when it’s tight, that shows you who you really are and if you truly are great. I’m the same way.”

The Jets lined up with their top two receivers to the left and No. 3 receiver Mike Williams to the right. The Vikings put Gilmore on Williams as part of Flores’ plan to entice Rodgers to turn away from his best receivers — Garrett Wilson, who had been targeted 23 times and was wide left being covered by Murphy; and Allen Lazard, who had been targeted nine times and was slot left being covered by Griffin — and throw at the Vikings’ best corner, Gilmore.

It worked.

“I’m doubling Wilson or Lazard at the snap, and Aaron sees that,” said Bynum, who was 12 yards off the ball to that side of the field.

The other deep safety, Harrison Smith, was 18 yards off the ball and shaded more toward the middle of the field, practically asking Rodgers to throw that way.

“Aaron looked over at us at the snap but went away from our side real quick,” Murphy said.

Griffin laughed and added: “I think it was the easier throw against man coverage, but testing Stephon Gilmore? In that situation? That’s a little crazy, man.”

All week, Vikings defensive backs coordinator Daronte Jones had been drilling his players on how to play Rodgers’ all-world back-shoulder throws. Flores said Gilmore trusted the technique, beat Williams to the spot, held his ground without holding, looked back for the ball, didn’t panic and made the interception 16 yards downfield.

“Williams isn’t speed; he’s not fast,” Gilmore said. “Aaron’s not going to throw over the top there with that guy. I saw the ball before [Williams] did, so it’s not like I was stressed.

“Obviously, I’m not as fast as I used to be. But I’m way smarter and anticipate way more. I know what’s coming because I’ve done seen it a million times. That play was kind of easy.”

The Vikings certainly didn’t have that kind of savvy cornerback play against Detroit a year ago. It’s an important upgrade, considering the Lions might be even more versatile and explosive this year.

Their 47 points in last week’s beatdown of the Cowboys in Dallas were the second most on the road in franchise history behind the 52 they scored at Green Bay in 1952.

The offensive line is one of the very best in the NFL. Running backs David Montgomery (power) and Jahmyr Gibbs (speed) are a diverse duo who have combined to average 5.0 yards per carry with 699 yards and nine touchdowns. Receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown, a possession guy with 31 catches, and Jameson Williams, a burner averaging 22.8 yards per catch, are playmakers.

“And Goff is definitely one of the more underrated quarterbacks in the league,” Gilmore said. “Super even-keel player. He’s obviously put Detroit on his back since he got there.”

Goff enters Sunday’s game with a league-high 8.9 yards per attempt while completing 83.7% of his passes in back-to-back victories over Seattle and Dallas. If he reaches a passer rating of 150 or better against the Vikings, he will become the first player in NFL history to do so in three straight games.

Gilmore has faced Goff three times in his career. Goff’s passer ratings were 74.9 when his Rams beat Gilmore’s Patriots 24-3 in 2020, 67.2 when Gilmore’s Cowboys beat Goff’s Lions 20-19 last year, and, oh yeah, 57.9 when Gilmore’s Patriots beat Goff’s No. 2-ranked Rams offense 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019.

Speaking of that game, that’s the last time Goff, Gilmore and Flores were on the same field together. Flores was Bill Belichick’s linebackers coach and defensive play-caller at the time.

New England led 10-3 with under five minutes left when Goff tested Gilmore twice with deep balls to Brandin Cooks.

On first-and-10 from the New England 27, Cooks nearly came down with the ball for a touchdown in the end zone. Safety Duron Harmon hit him as the ball arrived. Meanwhile, Gilmore’s right hand was tugging Cook’s left forearm before the ball arrived, preventing Cooks from being able to catch the ball.

Gilmore laughed this week when asked if he got away with one there.

“I wouldn’t say I got away with one because receivers get away with everything,” he said. “We were hand fighting. And when the game is on the line like that, as long as you’re not holding, I think they let you play.”

Flores called an all-out blitz on the next play. It was the kind of call that would earn him the head coaching job in Miami soon after the game.

Seven defenders rushed, including Harmon, who forced Goff to throw early, ugly and off-balance to Cooks, who was singled up against Gilmore.

“After making sure the ball didn’t come out fast, I took off and ran and beat Cooks to the spot because I knew it was going to be a deep ball,” Gilmore said. “Like I said, I live for those moments.”

Gilmore made the easy interception inside the 10.

“Great call, yeah,” Flores said after Wednesday’s practice. “But great execution by the guys.”

A day earlier, Flores was asked about Gilmore’s interceptions two weeks ago in London and six years ago on the game’s biggest stage.

“He’s still making interceptions at the end of games,” Flores said. “So he’s still got it.”