MINNEAPOLIS — As the Minnesota Vikings enjoyed the unfamiliar atmosphere of a fourth quarter in which they were now in complete control, Justin Jefferson climbed onto the bench and waved his arms repeatedly, urging the home fans to roar even louder for a defense that had been on the heels of the Houston Texans all afternoon.
The ovations were well deserved.
Sam Darnold matched his career-high with four touchdown passes, and the undefeated Vikings intercepted CJ Stroud’s passes twice and sacked him four times in a 34-7 win over the Texans on Sunday.
“I could definitely get used to that,” Jefferson said. “We just dominated all around. Defense is definitely the main reason.”
Jonathan Greenard recorded three sacks against former teammate Stroud, the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, as the Vikings (3-0) unsettled the Texans (2-1) with their aggressive and unpredictable tactics – and some help from the fans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“I couldn’t hear myself talking out there, so imagine the offense having to check their protections and do certain things like that up front,” said Cam Bynum, who intercepted Stroud in the fourth quarter.
Darnold scored points in the first quarter along with Jefferson and Aaron Jones, and in the second half he scored a third consecutive touchdown to Jalen Nailor and also secured one to Johnny Mundt.
Jones ran 19 times for 102 yards and caught five passes for 46 yards for the Vikings, who were favorites to finish last in the NFC North but have beaten two consecutive contenders to start their home games against San Francisco and Houston in what was Minnesota’s biggest win in five years.
“I think we have the right stuff,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We just have to keep proving it.”
Darnold completed 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards without a turnover, and the 2018 third-round pick also matched his career-high with a three-game winning streak as a starter. Darnold left the game to have his left knee examined after taking a late hit penalty on former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, but returned after one play to loud roars.
The Vikings improved their record against the Texans to 6-0. With 3:56 left in the third quarter, they finally scored on a pass from Stroud to Cam Akers, who spent part of last season with the Vikings and was making his first start with the Texans due to Joe Mixon’s injury.
Stroud completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards. That was the first time in 10 starts that he was intercepted.
Stroud’s first pass was intercepted at the line by Harrison Phillips, sending the ball straight back to linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, who gift-wrapped the ball and returned it to the 21-yard line. Six plays later, Darnold ran left and found Jefferson standing free in the front corner of the end zone, giving him the early lead.
The Vikings had a lot of respect for the Texans’ talent, starting with Stroud, the 2023 second overall pick, as the centerpiece of this up-and-coming team, but they were convinced that their aggressive and unpredictable defense would bring its own problems.
“The Texans helped the Vikings a lot,” said coach DeMeco Ryans.
The Texans were visibly thrown off balance by the noise of the crowd, which was amplified by the pressure from defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his charges, as six of seven penalties in the first half came before the snap.
Laremy Tunsil, a four-time Pro Bowl left tackle, had three of them, once an illegal formation that negated a third-down throw that would have moved the chains nearly to halfway. Another time it was the last of three consecutive false starts by the Texans after they had a third-and-4 at the Minnesota 25-yard line. Tunsil again got an illegal formation penalty, which was declined by the Vikings so they could force a punt.
Darnold could understand Stroud’s difficulty navigating the pre-snap cover and unorthodox formations, having faced the Flores-led defense himself in training camp.
“That can lead to a lot of thinking at the quarterback position,” Darnold said, “and that’s always difficult.”
Stefon Diggs led the Texans with 10 catches for 94 yards in his first game in Minnesota since leaving the Vikings four years ago.
“I’ve played here a long time and I’ve seen a lot of offenses struggle when I’ve been on the other side,” Diggs said. “Obviously it was a tough atmosphere, but a lot of it was self-inflicted.”
Nico Collins, the NFL’s best receiver who started the week with 252 yards in the first two games, was largely insignificant with four catches for 86 yards thanks to late catches. His 34-yard catch on third down set up Houston’s only touchdown.
Texans: In addition to the absence of Mixon (ankle), backup RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) also missed his second consecutive game.
Vikings: WR Jordan Addison (ankle), LB Ivan Pace Jr. (quadriceps, ankle) and OLB Dallas Turner (knee) were all inactive. Grugier-Hill took Pace’s spot in first-down defense.
Texans: Host Jacksonville next Sunday.
Vikings: Visit Green Bay next Sunday.
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