(Photo: Bleacher Nation)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 3
Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings
Texans: Their first two games haven’t been the prettiest, but they came away with victories. I knew week one against the Indianapolis Colts would be a close battle because they always are. Against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, they got all they could handle from a Chicago defense that can be one of the best in the league this year. C.J. Stroud has become one of the best Quarterbacks in this league and his future is tremendously bright. His mentality is similar to the one I’ve described to Joe Burrow. C.J. is never afraid of the moment and it doesn’t matter what the atmosphere is, he aims to deliver. To be so young, he’s so poised and shows the confidence of a veteran Quarterback. He’s picked up where he left off from his rookie season in which he won Offensive Rookie of the Year. I can’t wait to see the offense click on all cylinders when the season goes on and as I mentioned last week, they have balance with Joe Mixon. I already know their offense will be just fine. I love what I saw from the Houston defense on Sunday night! That front seven was active, and physical and made life difficult for Caleb Williams. The Texans recorded seven sacks and getting ONE sack is already difficult. One question I often receive is who could be the biggest threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC. I still think the Bengals are that team because they always play them so tough, but I feel DeMeco Ryans’ group in Houston could also be a threat. When playing the Chiefs, you must be able to throw different looks at Mahomes, but more importantly, throw the pressure at him from the middle. Houston can do that in my eyes. Please pay attention to them closely. On Sunday, they’ll battle a 2-0 Minnesota Vikings team.
Vikings: I’ve been asked who the most surprising 2-0 team is in the NFL and I don’t even hesitate. It’s this group in Minneapolis. They were expected to be a rebuilding team. Kirk Cousins is gone, they drafted J.J. McCarthy with the tenth overall pick from Michigan and he unfortunately tore his meniscus which means he’ll be sidelined for his entire rookie season. They turn to Sam Darnold as their starting Quarterback and so far, he’s been impressive. The New York Giants made him look like the second coming of Joe Montana in week one (which is what they do against Quarterbacks who’ve struggled). What truly surprised me was week two against the San Francisco 49ers, the reigning NFC champions and this was a game nobody gave them a chance in. They played San Francisco on a Monday night last year and beat them with a physical style of football against a team that’s considered the most physical in the league. In week two, the Vikings did the same thing and punched the 9ers in the mouth which leads me to say my often-used phrase which is the bully doesn’t like to be bullied. This Vikings team will have a chance every week as long as Justin Jefferson is healthy and on the field. He’s the best Wide Receiver in our game right now and what solidifies that for me is his ability to work with any Quarterback. Kirk was his primary guy for the first few years of his career, then even when Kirk went down, he was still putting up numbers. I can’t stress this enough. Coaching does indeed matter. Kevin O’Connell is an offensive-minded guy and he’s been able to bring the best out of Darnold so far. Matt Rhule was of no assistance to him in Charlotte and Adam Gase, no comment. Having a coach who can cater to your skill set and most importantly, believe in you means a lot. They’re back home this Sunday with Houston in town.
Texans X-Factor: Tank Dell– Another one of the weapons at C.J.’s disposal. He brings the speed to the Texans’ offense and is such a dangerous threat with the ball in his hands. Tank’s route running is out of this world and he’s so quick to change his direction in which Defensive Backs struggle to keep up with him. He’s tough with the ball in his hands, bouncy in space and he’s not your typical slot receiver which leads me to say he will go up to get the ball in the air. He won’t just wait for the ball to get to him, he attacks the ball.
Vikings X-Factor: Andrew Van Ginkel– This was such an under-the-radar pick-up for the Vikings. Andrew will find his way to the ball, even if it’s traveling through traffic. He’s that tweener that I often describe as he can play Linebacker and EDGE. I love the efforts Andrew shows on the field. He plays with the same energy in stopping the run as he does defending the pass. He’s that energy guy that many defenses look for. Andrew is quick, and distinctive and gets himself to where he wants to be.
Final Thoughts: This is a homecoming for both Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs who each played with the Vikings. I love what both of these defenses did in week two. Houston got after Caleb Williams throughout the game and the Vikings were more physical than the 49ers en route to a shocking victory. This will be another fast defense Minnesota will see on Sunday as DeMeco likes to mix things up in the front and you will never know who will be sent on a pressure scheme. The Vikings’ secondary isn’t the greatest and I expect Stroud and company to attack them throughout this game. They must worry about Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell. Pick your poison! This is also the game that will tell us more about the Vikings. Houston is the second-best team in the AFC as we speak right now behind, of course, the Kansas City Chiefs. Justin Jefferson will likely play in this one as he’s been on the injury list throughout the week. This Texans offense has way too many weapons for the Minnesota defense which will work to their advantage. I like the Texans on the road in this one.
Prediction: Texans 28, Vikings 21
