Texans @ Vikings
Final Score: Vikings 34, Texans 7
Writer: Riley Blum
The Vikings’ defense once again was dominant, and they controlled the game from beginning to end. The Vikings picked off C.J. Stroud on his first official pass attempt, which led to a Justin Jefferson touchdown–and the Vikings never let up. The Texans struggled to get anything going on offense, with their only points coming on a short Cam Akers touchdown reception near the end of the third quarter. The game was so out of hand that by the end, we saw backup quarterback Davis Mills for the Texans’ final drive. The Vikings are playing well on both sides of the ball – and to the surprise of many – they are undefeated through the first three weeks of the season.
Five Up
- Sam Darnold – Darnold only threw for 181 yards, but he was efficient, throwing 4 TDs and keeping the Vikings’ offense rolling. He did well to limit mistakes, and he looks like a viable QB streamer and more than capable of supporting the Vikings’ pass catchers.
- Aaron Jones – Jones dominated the touches out of the Vikings’ backfield and turned in a vintage performance. He turned 24 touches into 148 yards from scrimmage and scored a receiving TD.
- Stefon Diggs – Diggs led the Texans in targets and receiving yards this game. C.J. Stroud looked for him often on third down. Diggs did catch several short passes, but I liked seeing him get some routes where he worked more downfield.
- Jalen Nailor – Nailor recorded a TD in this one and would have had another TD on a go ball if not for an offensive pass interference. He is the WR2 for the Vikings as long as Jordan Addison remains sidelined.
- Vikings D/ST – The Vikings’ defense is for real. They have allowed only 30 points through the first three games. They wreaked havoc in this game, coming up with five sacks and two interceptions. Brian Flores has this unit playing great football, and they’re looking like a good option in fantasy football, too.
Three Down
- Ty Chandler – After being the more efficient RB and leading the Vikings in rushing last week, Chandler looked more like the backup to Aaron Jones in this one as opposed to the 1B to Jones’ 1A.
- C.J. Stroud – Stroud was under constant pressure and struggled to get much going offensively. After going 266 pass attempts without throwing an interception, Stroud threw two picks against a tough Vikings defense.
- Texans Offensive Line – The line struggled to keep the pass rush off of their quarterback and committed several penalties, including four consecutive penalties on a first-half drive. Laremy Tunsil was the worst offender among the O-line.
Houston Texans
Quarterback
C.J. Stroud: 20/31, 215 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | 3 carries, 12 yards
Stroud struggled in this game. He was under constant pressure, getting sacked four times and throwing two interceptions. He was done no favors by his offensive line being constantly penalized. The down game is less about Stroud and this Texans offense and more so about just how dominant this Vikings defense has been this season. There will be better games ahead for Stroud and the Texans.
Missed Opportunities
- TE Dalton Schultz wasn’t able to bring in a deep pass on a seam route, though the game was mostly in hand for the Vikings at that point.
Davis Mills: 7/12, 79 yards
Mills entered the game in relief for starting QB C.J. Stroud, with the result decided at that point. He looked decent, though the Vikings were playing softer on defense than what Stroud had to deal with.
Running Back
Cam Akers: 9 carries, 21 yards | 3 targets, 1 reception, 8 yards, 1 TD
Akers had a couple of good runs, the best one being a nine-yard gain that should have been a loss of yards, but Akers made defenders miss and spun his way near the first down line. However, Akers struggled along with the rest of this offense and was stuffed on multiple occasions. He salvaged his day from a fantasy perspective with a short touchdown reception. The silver lining is he dominated the RB touches and snaps, so he should be serviceable as a low-end RB2 or FLEX so long as Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce remain sidelined with injuries.
Dare Ogunbowale: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 28 yards
J.J. Taylor: 1 carry, 3 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 0 yards
British Brooks: 1 carry, 2 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Nico Collins: 10 targets, 4 receptions, 86 yards
Collins came into the game leading the NFL in receiving yards and managed to turn in a decent game despite the offense’s struggles. A 25-yard catch from Davis Mills on the Texans’ final drive helped to bolster his receiving total. With C.J. Stroud constantly under pressure, the Texans largely had to settle for underneath passes, and the deeper routes that Collins typically runs did not have time to develop.
Missed Opportunities
- Collins had a 17-yard catch called back due to holding on the first play of the game. Had that not been called back, he would have been over 100 yards receiving for the third consecutive game.
Tank Dell: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 62 yards
Dell flashes his speed and shiftiness when he gets the ball in his hand, but it looks like he continues to operate as the Texans’ WR3. I’m sure Dell will see his boom games, but they may be fewer and farther between with the addition of Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins looking like the alpha-WR in Houston.
Stefon Diggs: 12 targets, 10 receptions, 94 yards | 1/1 passing, 13 yards
Diggs was targeted early and often in this game. Some encouraging signs for fantasy managers in this one: C.J. Stroud often looked for Diggs when needing to convert on third downs, and Diggs saw some more downfield looks. They even ran a trick play for Diggs where the ball was thrown to him, and he threw across the formation to Dare Ogunbowale, who gained 13 yards for a first down.
Dalton Schultz: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 11 yards
A quiet game for Schultz. As mentioned earlier, he was unable to haul in a deep pass on a seam route.
Robert Woods: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Sam Darnold: 17/28, 181 yards, 4 TD
Darnold was efficient and looked good for the majority of the game. His only mistakes were two ill-advised shovel passes, but neither resulted in a turnover. Darnold did well navigating the pocket and extending plays when he needed to. He continues to succeed within coach Kevin O’Connell’s system and is a viable QB streamer.
Missed Opportunities
- Had a long TD to Jalen Nailor called back on offensive pass interference.
Nick Mullens: 1 carry, 0 yards
Running Back
Aaron Jones: 19 carries, 102 yards | 6 targets, 5 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD
Jones was heavily involved as a runner and a pass catcher, and it was clear early on he was a big part of the game plan. His TD reception came on a route out of the slot with Justin Jefferson lining up in the backfield. Jones ran hard and showed good burst, hitting the holes his blockers created for him.
Missed Opportunities
- On his 39-yard run, Jones was tackled at the goal line. The Vikings gave him a carry on the next play, trying to get him the TD, but he was stuffed in the backfield.
Ty Chandler: 7 carries, 13 yards
Chandler did not see much action in this one, with Aaron Jones running hot. Chandler was not targeted in the passing game and didn’t see much running room on his carries. The Vikings look willing to give Jones the bulk of the work when he has the hot hand.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Justin Jefferson: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD
Jefferson did all his damage in the first half and turned in a solid outing for fantasy managers. The Texans gave him too many free releases, and Jefferson made them pay getting open early and often. His touchdown came on the first possession; QB Sam Darnold extended the play, and Jefferson shook his man for a wide-open catch in the end zone. The best WR in the league excelled at creating separation in the first half. Jefferson didn’t have a catch in the second half, most likely due to a defensive adjustment and the Vikings not needing to air the ball out much. The broadcast did mention he hurt his finger in the first half, so that is something to monitor, but I don’t expect it to be an issue.
Missed Opportunities
- Jefferson dropped two passes in the second half; one was thrown behind him, but he still got his hands on it. This is rare to see from Jefferson and not something I expect to see much more of.
Jalen Nailor: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD | 1 carry, 3 yards
Nailor picked up in the second half where Justin Jefferson left off in the first. Nailor had a contested catch for a short TD on the first drive of the second half. Nailor was also given a sweep on 4th-and-1, which he converted, gaining three yards. It looks like they trust Nailor, and he can be viable in fantasy as long as Jordan Addison remains sidelined.
Missed Opportunities
- Nailor had a 30-yard touchdown catch called back due to offensive pass interference on Aaron Jones.
Johnny Mundt: 3 targets, 1 reception, 2 yards, 1 TD
Mundt caught a short TD from Sam Darnold. Mundt was also targeted in the end zone on a deep pass, and while he didn’t catch it, he did draw a 28-yard pass interference penalty, which set up Jalen Nailor’s TD.
Brandon Powell: 2 targets, 1 reception, 13 yards
Powell did have a good, heads-up fumble recovery that he turned into a decent gain.
Trent Sherfield Sr.: 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards
Josh Oliver: 1 target