EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings and Texans have opened an NFL season at 2-0 for the first time since 2016 for each club, which coincidently was the same year as Houston's previous visit to Minnesota.

This time the squads are one of two Week 3 pairings of 2-0 teams along with the Chargers and Steelers.

Kickoff for the sixth meeting all-time between the franchises is set for noon (CT) Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Vikings Uniform

Minnesota will wear the Vikings Classic uniform that was first worn in Week 1 of the 2023 season as the team celebrates Legends Weekend and the Ring of Honor induction of Bobby Bryant.

4 Storylines

1. Status of skill players

Minnesota's offense is awaiting word on three big-name players: wide receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, and running back Aaron Jones, Sr. The latter was banged up Sunday but finished the game.

Addison wasn't able to practice even in a limited capacity last week because of the ankle injury he suffered in the season-opening win at New York. Minnesota is being smart with his recovery timeline.

Jefferson exited the game against San Francisco with a quad contusion after he was hurt while blocking a run play. He showed up at the facility Monday feeling pretty good after going through some initial recovery efforts after the game.

Jones briefly visited the medical tent during the 49ers game but reappeared and seemed OK. His backfield mate Ty Chandler raced and rumbled for a team-best 82 yards on 10 carries.

On the other side, Texans running back Joe Mixon was forced out against the Bears because of an ankle injury. He returned but played only a few more snaps. An MRI apparently ruled out any serious injury.

2. Sam Darnold overcoming pressure

The first-year Vikings quarterback has rebuked naysayers with two big performances.

Through two games, Darnold has completed 72% of his passes and registered a 111.8 passer rating – a reversal of his completion rate (59.7%) and rating (78.3) that ranked the lowest among 39 players with 1,000 pass attempts from 2018-23. Darnold has been superhuman against the blitz, going 8-for-8 with 207 yards and three touchdowns. Darnold has overcome the pressure so far and is preparing for a Texans defense that has been highly effective at pressuring opposing quarterbacks in 2024.

3. Texan ties

Minnesota's overhauled defense features 2023 Texans Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard and Shaq Griffin. Vikings special-teamer Kamu Grugier-Hill and reserve tackle David Quessenberry had stints in Houston, as well. Grugier-Hill started 20 games at linebacker in 2021-22, and Quessenberry was part of the organization from 2013-17. During that time, Quessenberry beat cancer and played two games.

Cashman and Greenard had the greatest influence of the bunch as core defenders last year. Cashman broke out with 106 tackles in 14 games, and Greenard posted a career-high 12.5 sacks in 15 contests.

4. Impactful kicking

Vikings rookie Will Reichard, whose nickname "Will the Thrill" is starting to catch on, drilled his first three career field goals in Week 2 (his long from 39 yards) and is a perfect 6-for-6 on extra-point attempts.

Visiting kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn has been nails this season, a combined 10-for-10 on field goals and extra points. On Sunday night against Chicago, Fairbairn went 4-for-4 with three field goals of 50-plus yards. Amazingly, it was a repeat of his season-opening airshow at Indianapolis, where he connected on three 50-yarders.

The 30-year-old Fairbairn is the first player in NFL history with multiple games of three field goals from 50-plus, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Dating to last season, Fairbairn has made 34 of 35 tries.

3 Things 'Bout the Texans

1. C.J. Stroud is ascending

The 2023 No. 2 overall draft pick has been slinging it since his debut.

Stroud has passed for 225-plus yards in 14 of 19 starts including the postseason. Last year, he rescued Houston from rock bottom – the Texans were 3-13-1 before his arrival – to the top of the AFC South. In his first career playoff start, Stroud and the Texans obliterated Cleveland 45-14. He's resumed the course in 2024, completing in two games 69.1% of his throws for 494 yards, three scores and zero interceptions.

Flores dubbed Stroud an "up-and-coming, rising star" and praised the quarterback's pocket presence, command of the offense and mobility – Stroud is not a dual-threat but skilled at navigating the pass rush. He does a good job of keeping his eyes downfield when things break down, which can lead to explosives.

Stroud, by the way, hasn't been picked off since Week 11 of 2023. He's gone seven straight starts without an INT, which is the longest active streak in the league. He owns a 26:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

2. Top 10 defense

The Texans defense is in the top five in yards per game (254.0; 3^rd), interception rate (5.36%; 4^th), sacks recorded per pass attempt with nine on 56 (16.07%; 1^st) and first downs per game (14.5; 4^th).

Also, it is top 10 in yards per play, rushing yards per game (per play, too) and passing yards per game.

Houston has been strong against its first two opponents – Indianapolis and Chicago – yielding returns for Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, a former linebacker, and Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke.

Seven Texans have at least one sack. Henry To'oTo'o has 20 tackles. The unit features four first-rounders: DE Will Anderson, Jr., (2023), CB Derek Stingley, Jr., (2022), DE Derek Barnett (2017) and S Jimmie Ward (2014).

3. Hello, old friends

The Minnesota-Houston overlap runs deep. Five Texans players and quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson used to sport the Purple. The longest-tenured former Viking is Danielle Hunter, who racked his first 1.5 sacks in new threads last Sunday night against the Bears. Hunter played 119 games for Minnesota from 2015-23 and ranks sixth in franchise history with 87.5 sacks, including 16.5 in 2023.

Other returnees include the following: RB Cam Akers (six games; 2023), DB Kris Boyd (58; 2019-22) and Minneapolis Miracle WR Stefon Diggs (69; 2015-19). Johnson served as assistant quarterbacks coach for the Vikings in 2022. Case Keenum is on the Texans but won't travel because he is on Injured Reserve.

2 Vikings to Track

Sam Darnold: Entering Week 3, Darnold and Saints QB Derek Carr are the only two quarterbacks with two or more touchdown passes and a passer rating above 100 in each of the first two weeks. Darnold is trying to match a three-game streak with a passer rating above 100 that he posted with Carolina late in the 2022 season.

Pat Jones II: The fourth-year pro has become the first Vikings player to record at least 2.0 sacks in consecutive weeks since October 2022 when Za'Darius Smith posted 2.0 at Miami and 3.0 the following week against Arizona. Jones recorded his personal best of 4.0 that season and is positioned to pass that as early as this weekend. If Jones records 2.0 or more, he will join Mark Gastineau and Kevin Greene as the only three players since 1982 with that stat line in the first three games of a season.

1 Key Matchup

Vikings secondary vs. Texans wide receivers

Flores was straightforward about the possible problems Houston's receiving corps poses.

"They've got receiver after receiver after receiver after receiver," Flores animatedly explained Tuesday. "Diggs, [Tank] Dell, Nico Collins, I mean it's just receiver after receiver. It's a great scheme, similar to the one we just saw last week, with [Texans Offensive Coordinator] Bobby [Slowik] (who was part of Kyle Shanahan's staff in San Francisco from 2017-22). They're certainly going to be a tough, tough challenge."

The Vikings seem cut out for it.

In Week 2, Flores' group limited one of the best yards-after-catch offenses. According to Next Gen Stats, San Francisco led the NFL in 2023 with 710 yards after catches over expectations. Cincinnati ranked second at 445, by the way.

The yards after catch over expectations per reception by the 49ers in 2023 was a whopping 2.1 (Cincinnati and Seattle were next at 1.2), but on Sunday, San Francisco averaged 0.3 yards after catches over expectations.

Minnesota's performance in the secondary is inspiring, but not all surprising when considering the talent and experience added to the group in a series of moves this offseason.

In the backend, Harrison Smith looks destined for the Hall of Fame. Joshua Metellus is effective wherever he lines up, and Camryn Bynum is quick to diagnose plays. At cornerback, original plans included pairing Byron Murphy, Jr., with free-agent signing Griffin, who was injured early in training camp.

Camp signing Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, has been a staple of Minnesota's success. His familiarity with Flores – both were essential to New England's Super Bowl LIII win over Los Angeles – can't be understated.

"It just allows us to be as creative [as possible] and opens up the playbook, really across the board, as far as the things we would like to do," Flores commented on Gilmore being able to follow designated receivers across formations. "I think Steph' is playing well. I think he's been tight in coverage. They made some tough contested catches the other day, whether it was Deebo [Samuel, Jr.] or [Brandon] Aiyuk or [George] Kittle, which, you know, that's what you expect from good players, and we expect that this week coming up from Houston. … He allows us to really have the entire playbook – you want to play man, we'll play man, [you want zone], we'll play zone.

"He's got instincts. He's got smarts, experience, you know, some things you really can't measure," Flores added in his review of Gilmore's impact. "And he's brought a lot to the group already, just from that standpoint [of] 'Hey, this is how we game plan. We've got to be alert for X, Y, Z,' and he's been great."

All eyes will be on how Gilmore and Co. contain Diggs, Dell, Collins and the rest of the Texans passing game.

Friday Updates …

The following content was added Sept. 6 after initial publication.

Status Report

Vikings without three players vs. Texans

Addison was ruled out Friday for a second consecutive week, along with first-round pick Dallas Turner and starting linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr.

Turner who left the Week 2 contest against San Francisco with a knee injury. Turner said Thursday he is grateful it does not appear to be too serious. He is hoping to be available in Week 4 when Minnesota visits Green Bay.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said Pace was working through a quad injury this week and "got a little bit of an ankle" injury.

"As much as I know [Pace] wants to try to go, we've gotta be smart and try to keep him in a good spot where hopefully he's day-to-day next week," O'Connell said. "Jordan Addison's in a good place. Feel really good about where he's at; he should be able to have a good chance to go next weekend. And I'm then we'll keep you guys updated on Dallas."

The Vikings have former Texans Blake Cashman and Kamu Grugier-Hill, along with Brian Asamoah II, at the inside linebacker spot. Minnesota also has undrafted rookie Dallas Gant and Max Tooley, another former Texans player, on its practice squad.

Memorable Week 2 Quotes

Sam Darnold on fine-tuning his accuracy

"Specifically, I mean, it's really about keeping my head still and just keeping my eye on the target at all times. I feel like a lot of times you try to – me especially, you know, when I was a young player, I would throw and look up at the ball immediately. I think for me, it's about finishing through the target, keeping my eyes on him, and then if I do want to track the ball, which is natural for me, I can do that. But I really want to make sure I finish through my target, especially on those deep balls, to be able to guide the football as much as I can, all the way through the fingertips."

O'Connell on the threat posed by Texans QB C.J. Stroud

"I think first and foremost, the thing that stands out the most is his arm talent. I mean, this guy is making throws in and out of the pocket that the list, if you make a list of the guys capable of making some of the throws, it's not going to be a very long list that C.J. makes. Then I think he's got, it never ever seems too big for him from the first time he went out there to now he seems incredibly prepared, so he's obviously got a great process throughout the week. The experience of playing and leading that team is only making him more comfortable in his role. I just think he's a guy that played in a lot of big games, been coached really well there. I know Jerrod [Johnson] doing a great job with the quarterbacks there in Houston. I can't say enough about what shows up to me on tape. I mean, I've been like everybody else, if it's on TV, we're not playing, I've seen him make a lot of big time throws and plays in games. Then when you dive into the tape and you see the snap in and snap out impact he has, it's pretty remarkable for such a young player."

Aaron Jones on bouncing back from mistakes

"Ball security is something that we preach every day. We know how important the ball is; the ball is everything. But one thing we do is rely on each other. You've got a locker room full of brothers, and when [something goes wrong], you've got a bunch of guys waiting for you to come to the sideline. They're ready to pick you up. Let you know, 'Hey, we've got your back.' I fumbled this last game, and the same thing happened coming off the field. The defense goes, 'Hey, we've got your back,' and then they go out there and do it. It's just like, 'Hey, keep your head up. Go make up for it. Go make a play.' You know, you just don't let it happen again. I think it's being resilient, you know, not ever getting too high, never too low. You know, football's a game of momentum … but not letting the momentum change when something bad happens."

Wes Phillips on building a protection plan against Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, Jr.

"Everything really starts with the protection, and then it goes to the lens of the quarterback. There were a lot of different ways that we were trying to help last week – particularly [with Nick] Bosa. Sometimes he'd flip sides on you. Flipped sides at the very beginning of the game, the first drive. They actually dropped him on the second play of the game. Which, the more you want to drop him, the better. But yeah, it's a challenge each week in this league. 'Where are the tough matchups? How can we,' because all the plays that we design and draw up and all that stuff, it doesn't mean anything if we can't stick our foot in the ground and have a click to read it out or make the throw. So it's a challenge with these guys. Danielle coming back, you know, we know Danielle very well, and he knows us, you know. It'll be interesting to see some of those individual matchups – him and Brian O'Neill, who have gone against each other so much, or C.D. (Christian Darrisaw). It'll be interesting to see that little game-within-the-game with those guys."

Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels on if he was sore from chest bump he received from assistant special teams coach Dalmin Gibson (after the blocked punt)

"Oh no, nah, I'm good. I'm built the right way."

From the Inbox

How did it feel going to 2-0 after not going 2-0 since 2016?

— Ethan C.

What a difference a year can make. After opening 2023 with an 0-3 showing last September, the Vikings have opened 2-0, as Ethan points out. And although there's been quite a bit of football since 2016, some memories of that start have been jogged, particularly with the Texans coming to town.

Minnesota topped Houston, improving to 5-0 before the bye. Marcus Sherels returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown (his fifth and final punt return TD and lone one in a home game), the defense dominated, and the offense made some fun plays.

The memories of how that against-long-odds start (bridging Teddy Bridgewater's late-camp knee injury to acquiring Sam Bradford with a start by Shaun Hill) to the season are also joined by what happened after the bye. The mojo the team had didn't return in Week 7, a loss at Philadelphia in a messy game by both teams. The Vikings finished 8-8 after opening 5-0.

There are a couple of guys remaining from that squad, captains Harrison Smith and C.J. Ham, who are poised to help lead the team through adversity.

A 2-0 start is better than any other outcome through two weeks, but there's still plenty of work to be done for the team to accomplish its goals.

What has impressed you so far about the Vikings season so far? And what needs to be cleaned up?

— Ed Helinski in Auburn, New York

I'll try to be brief here, but the list has expanded each week.

For starters, I do have the benefit of seeing this team in OTA practices and every day at training camp, which is not the same as the folks who might visit camp for a day or who might just be basing their opinions on something else.

The quality days that the team put together have been transferred to game days so far this season.

But even then, I'd say things have been so much smoother than I prepared myself for. A new starting quarterback and running back and injuries at key skill positions cut have undercut things, but the team has kept rolling.

A defense with so many new pieces understandably could have taken more time to sync, but the unit has earned multiple recognitions for how good it has been.

The football personnel department and coaching staff worked together to be so active and productive in free agency.

Fewer turnovers and a reduction of penalties are areas where the team can improve.

Lastly, I think we've seen some personal growth by players like Pat Jones II, who has recorded a pair of sacks in Weeks 1 and 2.

To all Vikings players, coaches, ushers and stadium workers!

Thank you for a great game and wonderful experience to U.S. Bank Stadium.

The game win was a cherry in top!

Our son's first game at the stadium. He is a Vikings fan, and it was fun to see him enjoying the win!

Love to you all!

Can't wait until the next game we get to see you again!

— Camille S.

Wanted to close with these words from Camille. I'm so glad you and your family had a wonderful experience. The guest services team takes sincere care in creating a hospitable environment for visitors, and my colleagues in Vikings Entertainment Network take pride in helping the crowd bring the beautiful building to life on game days.