EAGAN, Minn. — Camryn Bynum is all smiles, and for good reason.
Minnesota’s defense is leading the league with 11 interceptions, and Bynum is one of three Vikings with multiple picks.
"It's been a really fun season," said the 2021 fourth-round pick out of Cal, but he wasn't just referencing the turnovers.
Following his first interception, which came in Week 3 against the Houston Texans, Bynum went viral by celebrating with a dance from Usher’s “Glitch” music video. He followed that up by reenacting the “Parent Trap” handshake with teammate Josh Metellus as a tribute to the team playing in London, where part of the movie was set.
"I always have a plan," Bynum laughed. "On defense, you don't get as many opportunities to celebrate ... so I feel like, going into every season, you always have something on your mind."
Bynum and the Vikings have had plenty to celebrate through five games. The team is 5-0 for the first time since 2016, and the defense has been one of the most disruptive units in the entire league. Minnesota is allowing the third-fewest points per game (15.2) this season and is tied for second with 13 takeaways.
The most recent was an interception by veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore to seal a 23-17 victory in London against the Jets. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers had more than three minutes to drive the Jets down the field for one final touchdown. Instead, Gilmore hauled in a pass — while falling to the ground — to end the threat and keep Minnesota undefeated through the first month-and-a-half of the season.
"A lot of people can do multiple things and I think that makes it hard for a quarterback to have a beat on who's doing what," said Bynum. "Moving around — a lot of people playing different positions makes it tough on them to know exactly what coverage we're in — some person can blitz, some person can play the flat, some person can cover in man."
Confusing quarterbacks is a staple in defensive coordinator Brian Flores' system, and with this being his second year playing in the scheme, Bynum said the familiarity has played a major role in not only him taking his game to a new level, but the defense creating more chaos of opposing offenses.
"We know what (Flores) is thinking and he knows the type of players we are," Bynum said. "Everybody just knows each other a lot more ... and we know how each of us fits in each spot."
The Vikings are one of just two unbeaten teams remaining, but they’ll have their hands full this weekend against the defending NFC North champions, who just so happen to be right behind Minnesota in the division standings.
The Detroit Lions are 4-1 and are fresh off a convincing 47-9 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions have been one of the top teams in the league, and much of that has been due to their ability to avoid turnovers.
Detroit has given the ball away just four times this season — tied for the fourth fewest — while taking the ball away 10 times for the fifth-best turnover ratio.
“They're really efficient, have really good players," Bynum said of the Lions. "They're a really complete team in every position, and that makes them really efficient with the ball."
Lions quarterback Jared Goff has thrown four interceptions this year, so Minnesota could have opportunities, but the former No. 1 overall pick has been nearly perfect the past two games, including a flawless performance against the Seattle Seahawks where he threw for nearly 300 yards and two touchdowns without throwing a single incomplete pass.
The Lions lead the league in scoring (30.2 points per game) and are averaging the third-most yards per game, so Minnesota’s defense will face one of its toughest tests yet this weekend.
But that’s not to say Minnesota hasn’t faced effective offenses. In its first five games, three of the offenses — San Francisco, Green Bay and Houston — currently rank in the top six in offensive yards, with Green Bay and San Francisco sitting eighth and ninth, respectively, in points scored. While the Texans aren’t among the top 10 in scoring, they’ve averaged 27.2 points against defenses not coached by Flores.
"I try to fight fire with fire," Flores said. "That's just me."
There will be plenty of heat on Sunday with the red-hot Vikings hosting the sizzling Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
