The Minnesota Vikings are loaded with studs and no duds after demolishing Houston Texans
Well, it's safe to say that the Minnesota Vikings are for real. They didn't just beat the Houston Texans, they demolished them by a score of 34-7. The score was evident that the game wasn't close and the Vikings continued to prove just that throughout the game Are we ready to call the Vikings a […]
Well, it's safe to say that the Minnesota Vikings are for real. They didn't just beat the Houston Texans, they demolished them by a score of 34-7. The score was evident that the game wasn't close and the Vikings continued to prove just that throughout the game
Are we ready to call the Vikings a true contender? It might be the time to do so. They aren't just 3-0, they have won two games by 20+ points and beat two of the top Super Bowl contenders to boot. Head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have done an excellent job in building this team and their efforts are standing out in a major way.
Each week, I write up the studs and duds from the game, but this week is taking a different approach. There weren't any duds, only studs from the game.
Stud: QB Sam Darnold
How could you label Darnold anything but a stud? He was excellent on the day for the Vikings. Darnold went 17-27 for 181 yards and four touchdowns, including thriving in the red zone. In five attempts, Darnold threw four touchdowns. The fifth possession saw Justin Jefferson drop a third-down pass that forced a field goal.
Darnold wasn't just excellent, he drew MVP chants from the crowd after he came out of the game with a knee injury and re-entered the game after one play. An 8:2 TD:INT ratio will illicit that kind of reaction.
Stud: RB Aaron Jones
The Vikings have a running game. Yes, it's taken a couple of years to get it established the way that Kevin O'Connell wants it. They pieced together the offensive line to be in a better spot and they got a running back in Jones.
Jones got his first 100-yard game in purple with 102 yards on 19 carries. In addition, Jones caught a touchdown in the first quarter. He's been a renaissance for this team in a similar way to how Dalvin Cook was a few years back.
Stud: EDGE Jonathan Greenard
This game had a lot of players who were playing their former team. The Vikings had at least five of them with the highest profile being Greenard. The Vikings signed him to a four-year, $76 million contract in the offseason to replace Danielle Hunter, who was also playing in this game.
Greenard was electric from the start. He got a pressure on the first play of the game and was impactful on the second when Kamu Grugier-Hill intercepted C.J. Stroud on a tipped ball. Greenard was everwhere on Sunday with three sacks and three tackles for loss. He's been a massive impact for the Vikings and will continue to do so.
Stud: K Will Reichard
The Vikings have had major issues at the kicker position over the last decade plus. After selecting Reichard in the sixth round in April's draft, they hoped that he was the guy to do fix those issues.
The Vikings may have figured it out. Reichard has hit all 15 kicks he's attempted this season, including two field goals against the Texans with a 58-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that is the second-longest in team history.
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