The Texans (2-0) head north to Minneapolis for a Week 3 showdown with the Vikings (2-0). Houston's coming off a Sunday night triumph over the Bears at NRG Stadium, while Minnesota muffled the 49ers at home. Here are five things to watch when the Texans and Vikings kick off at noon CT inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
1) Stroud staying strong – If you include the two playoff contests, quarterback C.J. Stroud has now engineered the Texans to a victory in 12 of his last 17 starts. He's not thrown an interception this season, has tossed three touchdown passes and sports a passer rating of 104.7 in 2024. The Vikings are very impressed with him, and Minnesota Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores spoke highly of the second-year signal-caller.
"I think he's an up-and-coming, rising star," Flores said. "Big arm talent. Is hard to bring down. Pocket presence. Command of the offense. Quarterback mobility. But he keeps his eyes downfield and can make explosive plays down the field."
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, who played quarterback in the NFL, said Stroud is impressive when watching on TV, or when watching the game film.
"I can't say enough about what shows up to me on tape," O'Connell said. "I've been like everybody else: if it's on TV, we're not playing, I've seen him make a lot of big time throws and plays in games. Then when you dive into the tape and you see the snap in and snap out impact he has, it's pretty remarkable for such a young player."
2) Nico on a roll – Wide receiver Nico Collins has cracked the 100-yard mark in both wins this season, going for 135 yards in the win at Indianapolis, and then 117 against the Bears. He's averaging 18 yards per catch, and is atop the NFL in receiving yards with 252.
He's a tough guy to cover, and Texans Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik said he's just the same guy as he was in 2023.
"Nico is a special individual," Slowik said. "He's the same guy as he was last year. He's someone that's extremely motivated. He works his tail off. He does whatever he needs to, to get on the same page with C.J.. He endlessly makes sure that his body is right, is ready for game day. And then when the lights come on, he's ready to roll."
Including the Wild Card playoff, in the last six Texans victories, Collins has recorded 80 receiving yards or more in every one, and is averaging 135.7 yards per game in those wins.
3)Who runs it? – Running backs Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce didn't practice on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this week, as Mixon was injured on Sunday night, and Pierce was inactive for that contest.
Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale, then, are likely to get more carries this weekend. Akers led the Texans with 32 yards on seven rush attempts Sunday against the Bears. Slowik explained some of Akers' strengths.
"He has great vision," Slowik said. "He's been running – ran zone scheme he came from – he did the same thing in Minnesota. He's really good at reading that, we call it riding the wave, finding the right hole to hit. He always plays under control. When he sees it, he hits it. He finishes physical."
Through two games, Minnesota's defense has allowed an average of 3.8 yards per carry.
4)Familiar Faces – The Vikings have a distinct Texans influence, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive end Jonathan Greenard, linebacker Blake Cashman and cornerback Shaq Griffin were all Texans last season who signed with Minnesota in free agency this spring.
Houston, meanwhile, has former Vikings on its side in defensive end Danielle Hunter and wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Minnesota knows what Hunter, who loged 1.5 sacks in Sunday's win, can do. After all, he racked up 87.5 sacks in eight season with Minnesota.
Vikings running back Aaron Jones, who squared off against Hunter for the last seven seasons as a Packer, had an amusing breakdown of the Houston pass-rusher.
"The guy's never ate a carb," Jones said. "He's cut up. You see him, and you're like, 'This guy looks different from everybody else.' But he's a special player."
Jokes, and looks, aside, Jones got specific with what else sets Hunter apart from his peers.
"How fast he gets off the ball, how creative he is on his rushes," Jones said. "You've seen the spin move a lot. He's kind of like a freak of nature, how fast he is, moving at his size. He's like 6-5, which you don't see a lot on the football field, either."
On the flip side, Stroud think his former Texans teammates are key reasons why the Vikings defense is clicking through the first two weeks.
"They got Blake Cashman, who was my former teammate and someone I have a ton of respect for running the show," Stroud said. "J.G. [Jonathan Greenard], who I know for sure is probably the leader of the d-line. Got them boys hunting too."
5) 'Sting vs. Jettas - A highly-competitive individual matchup to monitor is Vikings All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson versus Texans cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. It remains to be seen whether or not the latter will be the only one covering the former, but Stingley will likely get plenty of reps against the talented pass-catcher.
The two were teammates at LSU in 2019 when the Tigers went undefeated and captured a national championship. The two surely saw quite a bit of each other on the practice fields in Baton Rouge that season, and Texans Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke labeled Jefferson "one of the best" in the NFL.
"Sting, you turn the lights on, and we had a Sunday night game against Bears WR D.J. Moore, who is a good receiver and I think he rose to the challenge there," Burke said."I think any good football player wants to go against the best and challenge themselves and sort of measure up."
Jefferson caught a 97-yard scoring strike last Sunday, finished with 133 yards, and led the Vikings in Week 1 with four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Head Coach DeMeco Ryans knows Jefferson is a unique talent.
"Justin Jefferson is as good as any wide receiver I've seen," Ryans said. "Talk about a guy who everyone knows going into the game, you have to try to stop number 18. But it's easier said than done. He still finds a way to make plays, he's double-teamed, he's clouded, it really doesn't matter."
