Jonathan Greenard recorded three of the four sacks on Stroud, his former teammate, as the Vikings (3-0) intercepted the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year twice, unsettling the Texans (2-1) with their aggressive and unpredictable defense, amplified by the crowd noise after each stop.
Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for touchdowns on third down plays inside the 10 in the first quarter. In the second half, he threw a touchdown to Jalen Nailor for the third consecutive game and also found tight end Johnny Mundt for a score.
Jefferson had six receptions for 81 yards, while Jones rushed 19 times for 102 yards and caught five passes for 46 yards. The Vikings, initially predicted to finish last in the NFC North, have managed to defeat two strong opponents at home, first against San Francisco and now Houston. Darnold completed 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards without any turnovers and tied his career best with a three-game winning streak as a starter, a feat he hadn’t achieved in three years. He briefly left the game to have his left knee checked after a late hit from former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter but returned to a loud cheer after being cleared by medical staff.
The Vikings improved to 6-0 all-time against the Texans, who finally scored with 3:56 left in the third quarter on a pass from Stroud to Cam Akers, who got his first start with Houston after Joe Mixon was injured.
Stroud went 20 for 31 for 215 yards, marking the first time in 10 starts that he had been intercepted. His first pass was deflected by Harrison Phillips, landing in the hands of linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill for an easy interception returned to the 21. Darnold then scrambled left six plays later to find Jefferson in the end zone for an early lead.
The Vikings almost capitalized on another turnover deep in Houston territory when Grugier-Hill stripped a short pass from tight end Dalton Schultz, allowing Stephon Gilmore to recover the ball. However, the play was ruled incomplete after review. Following Ka’imi Fairbairn’s missed 54-yard field goal, the Vikings quickly scored again on a short pass to Jones.
Respecting the Texans’ talent, especially with Stroud as the centerpiece, the Vikings remained confident that their aggressive defense would create issues for Houston. Greenard, one of three former Texans on the Vikings, recorded his first sack of Stroud in the first quarter by overpowering rookie tight end Cade Stover.
The Texans struggled with crowd noise, resulting in six of their seven first-half penalties occurring before the snap. Four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil accounted for three of those penalties, including an illegal formation that nullified a key third-down completion.
Nico Collins, who led the NFL in receiving yards entering the week, was largely contained by Gilmore and the Vikings’ secondary, with only a 34-yard catch setting up Houston’s only touchdown. Stefon Diggs led the Texans with 10 catches for 94 yards in his first game back in Minnesota since leaving the Vikings four years ago.
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