MINNEAPOLIS — The Vikings defense was at it again, surging to a hot start for the third week in a row.
Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard drew a holding penalty against Texans tight end Cade Stover on the first snap of the game, erasing a 17-yard completion from C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins.
Greenard proved problematic for his former Houston teammates the rest of the day, recording three sacks in Minnesota's 34-7 victory on Sunday.
Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, another former Texan who was filling in for Ivan Pace, Jr., picked off Stroud on the next snap and returned the ball to the Houston 21-yard line.
The Vikings offense was opportunistic on that advantageous starting field position, needing just six plays for Sam Darnold to find Justin Jefferson on a 6-yard touchdown pass, the first of four on the day by Darnold.
Minnesota piled on momentum early and finished strong, turning a battle of previously unbeatens into a blowout and improving to 3-0 on the season.
The Vikings pitched a shutout in the first half and didn't allow points until 3:56 remained in the third quarter. Former Vikings RB Cam Akers caught an 8-yard pass from Stroud for Houston's only points of the game.
Greenard, Grugier-Hill and other offseason additions continued to be dynamic in Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores' system that has not allowed points in seven of 12 quarters played.
Camryn Bynum also picked off Stroud in the second half.
The Vikings totaled at least five sacks for the third consecutive week and limited the Texans to a 4-for-14 showing on third down and a 2-for-4 clip on fourth down.
Minnesota improved to 6-0 all-time against the Houston Texans and 20-0 under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell when the team is even or wins the turnover battle.
View game action photos from the Vikings vs. Texans Matchup in Week 3 at US Bank Stadium.
Here are four more observations presented by Minnesota Eye Consultants, the Proud LASIK Partner of the Minnesota Vikings, followed by a scoring summary:
1. Darnold dazzles, avoids disaster
Darnold on numerous occasions was able to time his release of passes just before an active Texans rush was able to get to him.
One such example was a pass that hit Aaron Jones, Jr., in stride and allowed the running back to pick up steam and vault across the goal line with a somersault for a 14-0 lead with 1:08 remaining in the first quarter.
Darnold used his mobility to buy time on key passes but also made decisive, confident deliveries of the football.
He added touchdowns to Jalen Nailor and Johnny Mundt in the second half and finished 17-of-28 passing for 181 yards and a passer rating of 119.2.
Darnold left the game briefly at the end of the third quarter after he was hit from behind by former Viking Danielle Hunter. He returned to the game after one snap and later was replaced by Nick Mullens.
2. Flag football
The Texans committed 11 penalties for 88 yards on the day, compared to five for 30 yards by the Vikings.
Houston's total included seven accepted infractions in the first half alone, including three that negated double-digit gains on pass plays.
The Texans offensive line struggled with crowd noise, committing four false starts in the first half, including three in a row that turned a third-and-4 at the Minnesota 25-yard line into a third-and-19 at the 40 on a drive that ended with a punt.
The third one in that sequence was the second of the day by left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who also had two illegal formation penalties accepted against him in the first half. The first negated a 16-yard completion and the second wiped away a 17-yard pass.
View pregame photos as the Vikings get set for the Week 3 matchup against the Texans at US Bank Stadium.
3. Run game stays with it
The Vikings struggled to get the run game going but were rewarded late as they tried to salt away the clock.
Jones broke through the line for a gain of 39 in the fourth quarter to set up the touchdown pass to Mundt.
He finished with 19 carries for 102 yards on a day that was tough sledding and made a mark in the passing game with 46 yards through the air.
Jalen Nailor added an important 3-yard gain with a jet sweep on fourth-and-1 late in the third quarter.
View photos of the Vikings arriving at U.S. Bank Stadium ahead of the Week 3 matchup vs. the Texans.
4. Special teams strong
Punter Ryan Wright turned in a solid performance, averaging 48.3 yards on four punts with a long of 55. He and the coverage unit were able to limit the Texans to 5 yards on three punt returns.
Rookie kicker Will Reichard remained perfect on the season, kicking all four extra points and field goals of 35 and 58 yards.
The 58-yarder grazed the right upright on its way through.
