Five extra points: Few signs of the old Sam Darnold or that Stephon Gilmore is old

One of Sam Darnold’s best decisions was a third-down incompletion that screamed how well Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is coaching the old Darnold out of what’s now an early MVP frontrunner. Two consecutive presnap penalties had turned first down at the Vikings 30 into third-and-19 at the 7. Old Sam might have pick-sixed the next play when things broke down. Instead, K.O.’s Sam, knowing his team was cruising 14-0, threw the ball in the dirt so quickly that he was flagged for grounding until the referee waved off the penalty because Darnold “wasn’t under duress.” “I noticed the play wasn’t there and it wasn’t going to be there,” he said. “Don’t make a bad play worse. Get the ball out of my hand and end the drive with a kick.”

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore turned 34 Thursday. He didn’t look it Sunday. “Dude,” he told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “I was so bored out there.” Gilmore shadowed Nico Collins, who posted consecutive 100-yard receiving games in Houston’s 2-0 start. The only ball thrown to and caught by Collins with Gilmore locked on him was a 9-yard completion on a screen caught behind the line of scrimmage. Collins’ 34-yard reception in the third quarter came during one of the two series Gilmore rested until being pulled late in the blowout. “They’re keeping me fresh since I played [68] snaps [97%] last game,” Gilmore said. Safety Cam Bynum said it’s strange seeing teams just avoid Gilmore. Then again, Bynum said, “He’s a Hall of Famer. I wouldn’t throw at him either.”

Seven of Houston’s 11 penalties were committed presnap by offensive linemen. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil had three of the Texans’ five false starts and both illegal formations. “This crowd is crazy loud,” first-year Vikings linebacker Jihad Ward said. “What a huge advantage.” The Texans were at the Vikings 25 trailing 14-0 when three consecutive false starts turned third-and-4 into third-and-19. A fourth consecutive penalty, for illegal formation on Tunsil, was declined. “Never seen three straight false starts,” Ward said. “Bad communication on their part.”

Darnold threw four touchdown passes from inside the 10. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw locked down ex-teammate Danielle Hunter one-on-one on three of those. Hunter wasn’t on the field the other time. On the first TD, a 6-yard pass to Justin Jefferson, Darrisaw simply ran Hunter past Darnold on the high side, enabling Darnold to roll out unbothered to his left for an easier throw. “I knew I could take away some things from Danielle,” Darrisaw said. “He’s an elite rusher, but I know what type of rusher he is. I tried to dominate the matchup so Sam could make some plays. That’s what happened.” Hunter had no sacks, two QB hits and was flagged for roughing the passer for the first time in his 128-game NFL career.

The stat sheet says Harrison Phillips had one tackle and one pass defensed. It doesn’t mention the nose tackle setting the game’s tone on the game’s first official snap. On first-and-20 following a holding penalty, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud was intercepted by Kamu Grugier-Hill on a ball tipped by Phillips. “It came right to me,” Grugier-Hill said. Six plays later, the Vikings took a 7-0 lead, and they were never challenged from there. “We were bringing five guys, so I knew the ball was coming out fast,” Phillips said. “When I see the quarterback not retreating, I try to get my hands up quick.” It was Phillips’ second pass defense of the season, tying a career high. “I tipped another ball, but the receiver ended up catching it,” Phillips said. “Maybe next week I’ll get No. 3.”

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