The 2-0 Vikings host the 2-0 Houston Texans at noon Sunday (CBS). Check back here often for live updates and analysis from U.S. Bank Stadium.
Live: Vikings lead Texans 14-0 in second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium
Sam Darnold TD passes to Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones in the first quarter have the Vikings ahead in a matchup between two undefeated teams with plenty of connections between them.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 22, 2024 at 5:51PM
12:45 p.m.: First-quarter analysis
In one of two games this week between a pair of 2-0 teams, the Vikings have a 14-0 lead after a first quarter that couldn’t have gone much better for them.
They handled the Texans’ pass rush, giving Sam Darnold enough clean pockets to complete six of his eight passes for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Darnold had to break the pocket several times on the Vikings’ first drive, but had plenty of time to work through one of Kevin O’Connell’s designer play concepts on the second score, where Justin Jefferson came out of the backfield and drew coverage away from the mesh concept in the middle of the field.
On defense, the Vikings have forced C.J. Stroud to hold the ball; the second-year QB completed only four of his eight passes for 22 yards and an interception that was tipped by Harrison Phillips before Kamu Grugier-Hill picked it off. The Vikings have worked mostly in nickel with Josh Metellus as a linebacker; they’ve confused Stroud with their coverages, while Jonathan Greenard bullied Cade Stover on his way to a sack against his former team that pushed Ka’imi Fairbairn’s field goal attempt back to 54 yards.
Even that worked out well for the Vikings: Fairbairn, who’d made 17 of his previous 18 from 50-plus, pushed his kick wide right. — BEN GOESSLING
12:35 p.m.: Jones scores first home TD for Vikings
The Vikings are rolling early at home. They’re up 14-0 late in the first quarter, after Sam Darnold hit Aaron Jones for his first receiving touchdown in a Vikings uniform.
The drive covered 56 yards in six plays, highlighted by a 28-yard pass from Darnold to Justin Jefferson on a dig route off play action. To finish the drive, coach Kevin O’Connell dialed up a concept that had Jefferson running a wheel route out of the backfield, clearing space for Jones on a crossing route as the Texans struggled to fight through traffic from a Johnny Mundt crossing route that functioned as a moving pick.
On the drive, Darnold completed four of five passes for 35 yards and the score. — BEN GOESSLING
12:10 p.m: Interception leads to Vikings TD
The Vikings deferred after winning the coin toss, stole a possession when Kamu Grugier-Hill intercepted Harrison Phillips’ tip of C.J. Stroud’s pass, avoided a turnover of their own and took a 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson.
Sam Darnold had to play off schedule several times on the Vikings’ short touchdown drive, including one scramble where he shoveled a pass forward for Aaron Jones, and the ill-advised toss was ruled an incomplete pass instead of a fumble. On a third down from the Texans’ 6, he escaped to his left and found Justin Jefferson for an easy touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had thrown just five interceptions as a rookie, and hadn’t thrown one yet this year. The Vikings were curious this week to see how the rookie quarterback would respond if he was put in a tough situation; they did everything they could to put him there early. — BEN GOESSLING
Related Coverage
11:50 a.m.: Vikings-Texans connections
Perhaps you’ve heard that the Vikings and the Texans share many connections. Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs will be playing their first games in Minnesota as opponents Sunday. Former Vikings special teams standout Kris Boyd is also back in town with Houston. Three of last year’s prominent Texans — Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard and Shaq Griffin — signed with the Vikings as free agents and are keying a defensive resurgence. Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, another former Texan, may play a bigger role Sunday for the Vikings with the injury to Ivan Pace Jr. Second-year Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans interviewed for the Vikings job that eventually went to Kevin O’Connell.
11:35 a.m.: Pregame reading
Vikings-Texans kickoff is about a half hour away, which is enough time to catch up on two long reads about the Vikings written by the Minnesota Star Tribune this weekend.
Andrew Krammer talked to new Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, his mother and others from his hometown of Hiram, Ga., about what motivates him. And it’s a lot more than playing his former team, the Texans.
Mark Craig had an exclusive interview with Kevin O’Connell, in which the famously nice Vikings coach talked about showing a different side of himself — a dark side, if you will.
11:15 a.m.: Vikings-Texans predictions
There are two games in the NFL this weekend featuring a pair of 2-0 teams, including this one between the Vikings and Texans, who didn’t attract much preseason attention but have thrived with strong defenses. The Vikings, third in the NFL in points allowed through two games, will try to shut down an impressive Houston offense led by second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud; they’ll look to protect Sam Darnold against a pass rush led by former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter. Which team will come out of it 3-0?
10:50 a.m.: Vikings-Texans inactives
It’s only September, but the Vikings and Texans aren’t exactly at full strength for Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Minnesota will be without three notable players because of injuries: receiver Jordan Addison, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. and edge rusher Dallas Turner. All three were ruled out on Friday after various levels of practice during the week.
Receiver Jalen Nailor, who had three grabs for 54 yards and a touchdown last week against the 49ers, draws another start. The Vikings could replace Pace, the starting inside linebacker, in multiple ways. Veteran Kamu Grugier-Hill could see first- and second-down work, while safety Josh Metellus is among the players trained to also align inside linebacker on passing downs.
Edge rusher Patrick Jones II, who has four sacks in two games, already has a sizeable role off the bench and could see more work with Turner, the first-round rookie, sidelined. The Vikings elevated edge rusher Bo Richter, the undrafted rookie out of Air Force, and tight end Robert Tonyan from the practice squad for the game.
Tonyan, the former Packers and Bears tight end, will be active for his first Vikings game after tight end Nick Muse was placed on injured reserve this week. Muse, the 2022 seventh-round pick, suffered a fractured hand against the 49ers.
The Houston Texans will be down to their No. 3 running back, Cam Akers, after losing Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce to injuries. Akers, a former Rams starter, played six games last season for the Vikings before suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
Vikings’ inactives: Addison (ankle), Pace (quad/ankle), Turner (knee), DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, CB Dwight McGlothern and OT Walter Rouse
Texans’ inactives: Mixon (ankle), Pierce (hamstring), CB Myles Bryant, LB Jamal Hill, DE Rashad Weaver and C/G Jarrett Patterson
— ANDREW KRAMMER
To get exclusive analysis on the Vikings by Ben Goessling in your inbox every Friday, sign up for the free Access Vikings newsletter here.
The 2-0 Vikings host the 2-0 Houston Texans at noon Sunday. Check back here often for live updates and analysis from U.S. Bank Stadium from reporters and columnists from the Minnesota Star Tribune.
