NFL
By: AJ Jones
Houston, TX – The Houston Texans are off to an impressive 2-0 start, but their biggest test of this young season yet awaits them in Week 3 on the road against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. This one won’t be easy by any stretch of the imagination given the fact that the Vikings boast the best defense in the league allowing only 2 touchdowns and the fewest number of points this season. That means Texans will need to literally bring their A-game to be able to put this one in the win column.
Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, is confident in his team’s ability to step up to the challenge. “We know the Vikings are a great team, but we believe in ourselves and our preparation,” Stroud said. “We’ve been working hard all offseason, and we believe in each other as well as what our coaches have prepared us to do.” Stroud has completed almost 70% of his passes this season with 3 TDs, 0 INTs and has a passer rating of 104.7.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans echoed Stroud’s sentiment, emphasizing the importance of staying focused and executing the game plan. “The Vikings are a talented team, but we’re not going to back down,” Ryans said. “We’ve got to play our best football, take advantage of our opportunities, and cut down on our mistakes.”
The Texans’ will likely be without running back Joe Mixon who didn’t practice all week and is listed as doubtful because of an injury suffered in their 19-13 win over the Bears last Sunday night. Cam Akers is prepared to make his first start, his first since tearing an Achilles in 2023 as a member of the team they’ll face on Sunday.
One Texans’ defender might have a little more motivation than the others heading into Sunday’s battle of the unbeatens… Danielle Hunter who the Vikings chose not to pay market price for this offseason allowing him to join the Texans via free agency. Hunter has helped the Texans lead the NFL in sack rate per pass play at 16.1%.
The Texans are a 3-point favorite in this matchup but will have their hands full in trying to hand the Vikings their first loss of the season, and at home. If they can execute their game plan and play with passion, they have a chance to make a statement to the rest of the NFL.
