The Texans travel to Minneapolis this weekend for another shot at doing something they've NEVER done.
Over the 22 years of their existence, the Texans have never defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the regular season. Not in Houston. Not in Minneapolis. Not in the Metrodome. Not in US Bank Stadium. Not at Reliant or NRG. The Texans have never beaten the Vikings. Not as a favorite. Not as an underdog. Never.
It's time to change that on Sunday afternoon in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. But that's the problem: this is an EXCELLENT Vikings squad that will line up across from the Texans. Led by one of the best head coaches in the NFL, Kevin O'Connell, the Vikings have won games with a litany of different QBs in his three years as the Vikings' leader. He was supposed to be leading a rookie QB's development this year but J.J. McCarthy was lost for the season in the preseason. As a result, O'Connell is getting the best out of former #3 overall pick Sam Darnold, who has given the Vikings offense a positive jolt to start the season.
I went down this Minnesota roster and realized that Darnold has one heck of a supporting cast. This team also has one of the most dynamic defensive schemes in the league, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores. It hit me a few times just thinking about O'Connell, Flores and this Vikings roster that this is going to be a stressful, 60-minute slugfest and I'm preparing for a game of that sort on Sunday.
One last note, the Texans have been 2-0 three times since 2013 and twice since I joined on the sideline in 2014. In every instance, the Texans went on the road in week three and got absolutely THROTTLED, including the last time in 2016 when rookie QB Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots beat them 27-0 on a Thursday night in Foxboro. No time like the present to get rid of the word never.
As such, let's get to know the NFC North leading Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings 2024 Schedule (2-0)
Week 1 - W @ New York Giants 28-6
Week 2 - W San Francisco 49ers 23-17
Week 3 - Houston Texans
Week 4 - @ Green Bay Packers
Week 5 - New York Jets
Week 6 - BYE WEEK
Week 7 - Detroit Lions
Week 8 - @ Los Angeles Rams
Week 9 - Indianapolis Colts
Week 10 - @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Week 11 - @ Tennessee Titans
Week 12 - @ Chicago Bears
Week 13 - Arizona Cardinals
Week 14 - Atlanta Falcons
Week 15 - Chicago Bears
Week 16 - @ Seattle Seahawks
Week 17 - Green Bay Packers
Week 18 - @ Detroit Lions
Vikings OFFENSE (in 2024 regular season)
Rushing Yards Per game - 128.5 ypg (14th in the NFL)
Passing Yards Per game - 229.0 ypg (7th)
Total offense per game - 357.5 ypg (11th)
Turnovers lost - 4 (2 Fumbles lost, 2 Interceptions)
Expected Vikings starting offense for Week 3
QB - SAM DARNOLD
RB - AARON JONES
WR - Justin Jefferson (quad contusion last week)
WR - Jordan Addison OR Jalen Nailor
TE - Johnny Mundt
TE - Josh Oliver
LT - Christian Darrisaw
LG - Blake Brandel
C - Garrett Bradbury
RG - Ed Ingram
RT - Brian O'Neill
Key Offensive Non-Starters
RB - Ty Chandler
WR - Brandon Powell
WR - TRENT SHERFIELD
FB - C.J Ham
WR - Trishton Jackson
Italics - Rookie
ALL CAPS - New to team in 2024
Keys to winning v. the Vikings Offense
- No expiration date…yet- Over the past couple of seasons, Voice of the Texans Marc Vandermeer and I have crafted a saying about NFL QBs and their effectiveness over long stretches of time. We call it "expiration date". Like a carton of milk, every QB comes with an expiration date and the key is knowing when the expiration date will arrive. Last year, the Vikings won a couple of games with Josh Dobbs and the nation went bonkers, then he hit his expiration date after about six games. Some QBs' expiration date isn't for years (Patrick Mahomes, anyone?), but some QBs will give their team positive play, even though it wasn't expected, but fade out at the expiration date in the same season. That's the question about Darnold. He has bounced around from team to team in his seven years in the NFL, never finding that week in/week out consistency that could extend his expiration date. Case in point, in the first three games of the 2021 season in Carolina, Darnold was flying high - three games with over a 96 rating, three TD to one INT. Then, expiration date time. From week four to week nine, he threw ten INT to just four TD. In 2022, he didn't start until week 12 and led the Panthers to some great wins down the stretch and four games out of five with a 100+ rating, but expiration date hit about five weeks later in week 18 when he had a 2.8 rating and threw two interceptions in the finale. In 2024, he's been outstanding for the first two weeks and history has shown that the coaching of O'Connell has extended the expiration date for quarterbacks. Not to mention, Darnold is the most physically gifted QBs of the bunch. The Texans defense better gear up because there doesn't seem to be an expiration date in sight for Darnold.
- A Reunion - In the fourth quarter of last week's matchup against the Niners, Vikings stud WR Justin Jefferson went down to the turf and the US Bank Stadium crowd got REAL quiet. It didn't help matters that Jefferson limped off and missed the rest of the game. But it appears that he's going to play and that means a reunion against his former LSU teammate CB Derek Stingley Jr. The Texans have used Stingley Jr. as a traveler, following the best WR all over the field. That could be the M.O. this week for the Texans against Jefferson or the Texans CBs could play sides of the field as they have in the past, divvying up the responsibility amongst the entire secondary. That said, I'd imagine that Stingley and Jefferson absolutely want a piece of each other, just like back in practice in 2019 at LSU.
- A Reunion, part two- The Vikings have plenty of former Texans on the roster, but the Texans have a former Viking on the roster as well. And, in returning to US Bank Stadium, DE Danielle Hunter will play an enormous role against the Vikings talented tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill. Those three have mixed it up plenty in practice over the years while they were together in Minnesota, so they'll know each other well. But, seeing a guy you THINK you know in a game is a completely different story. The Texans will find that out too, facing Jon Greenard, but it's Hunter, combined with Will Anderson Jr, who can change/alter the protection strategies for the Vikings in this game. As such, this reunion will be well worth the money on Sunday.
Vikings DEFENSE (in 2024 regular season)
Rushing Yards Allowed Per game - 88.0 ypg (8th in the NFL)
Passing Yards Allowed Per game - 231.5 ypg (25th)
Total offense Allowed per game - 319.5 ypg (18th)
Turnovers generated - 4 (3 INT, 1 Fumble recoveries - Vikings are even in TO margin in 2024)
Expected Vikings starting defense for Week 3
OLB - JONATHAN GREENARD
NT - Harrison Phillips
DT - JERRY TILLERY
DE - Jonathan Bullard
OLB - ANDREW VAN GINKEL
LB - BLAKE CASHMAN
LB - Ivan Pace Jr.
CB - STEPHON GILMORE
S - Harrison Smith
S - Cam Bynum
Nickel/S/LB - Josh Metellus
CB - Byron Murphy
Key Defensive Non-Starters
OLB - DALLAS TURNER
OLB - Pat Jones II
DE - JIHAD WARD
CB - Akayleb Jones
Italics - Rookie
ALL CAPS - New to team in 2024
Keys to winning v. the Vikings Defense
- Sack TIME!- When Hunter joined the Texans this offseason, I thought there might be a dropoff at the position in Minnesota. However, the Vikings' brain trust went to work, replacing Hunter with a number of different players. First, the Vikings signed former Texans star edge rusher Jon Greenard. Then, they signed one of the most perfect chess pieces for this defense, Andrew Van Ginkel, formerly of the Dolphins. Then, they drafted former Will Anderson Jr. teammate Dallas Turner. But, what has really turned the screws up at the position has been the rise of fourth year Viking Pat Jones II. He's second in the league in sacks (4.0) which has helped the Vikings lead the league in sacks (11). Brian Flores' scheme has opened some doors to the QB, but this quartet has kicked down some doors of their own. The Texans pass protection needs PRISTINE communication to say the least against this dynamic and explosive group and Skol Nation will do all it can to keep it from happening.
- Never the Same- What also gives the Vikings defense a leg up against opponents is how much Flores' defense disguises coverages and does some exotic, say, stuff on defense. The Vikings have a number of players that fit into what Flores wants to do because of their unique makeup. S Cam Bynum is a former college CB and plays with range in the middle of the field. Part safety/part LB Josh Metellus…man, there's no telling where #44 will line up on any given play. S Harrison Smith has been fooling people with where he lines up for years. Then, there's Van Ginkel. Edge rusher by trade, I suppose, but don't be surprised to see him line up as a stack backer, a mugged LB in the A gaps or a middle runner in Tampa two. He can do anything the Vikings linebackers are asked to do, inside or outside. With chess pieces like that, combined with their ferocious edge pass rushers, this Vikings defense frustrates QBs nearly every play. 49ers QB Brock Purdy sought out Flores after last week's game and said he had never seen a more complex scheme. And, Flores now has the talent to go with that scheme and it's a scary bunch.
- Undrafted, more like underrated- When I was at the Senior Bowl in January of 2023, I was intrigued watching Cincinnati linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. I could tell on his film that he didn't have NFL LB measurables, but he was ALWAYS around the ball. He walked near me at one point and I realized that he was even shorter, smaller than I thought. But what stood out to me was that he kept getting to the ball faster and more effectively than the bigger, more well-known linebackers. He just made plays over and over again. Even though I had a Harris 100 ranking on Pace, I wasn't truly surprised that he went undrafted because I know how teams think. That said, I KNEW he could play and he just needed a chance. The Vikings gave him that chance and signed him as an undrafted linebacker. Lo and behold, he's been a star at linebacker ever since. He's lightning quick to the football. He's smart and explosive in coverage in the passing game. Keep an eye on #0 because he's going to take you right to the football and the Texans had better get a hat on him or it's going to be a long, LONG day against the Vikings stud second year linebacker.
