MINNEAPOLIS — Sam Darnold matched his profession excessive with 4 landing passes, and the undefeated Minnesota Vikings used one other dominant efficiency on protection to trounce C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans 34-7 on Sunday.

Jonathan Greenard had three of the 4 sacks of Stroud, his former teammate, because the Vikings (3-0) intercepted the 2023 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Yr twice whereas rattling the Texans (2-1) with their aggressive and unpredictable scheme — and the group noise that cranked up with every cease.

Darnold related with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for scores within the first quarter on third down performs inside the ten. Within the second half, he delivered a landing to Jalen Nailor for the third straight recreation and bought tight finish Johnny Mundt one, too.

Jefferson had six catches for 81 yards and Jones rushed 19 instances for 102 yards and caught 5 passes for 46 yards for the Vikings, who have been a classy decide for final place within the NFC North however have crushed back-to-back contenders to begin their residence slate towards San Francisco and Houston.

Darnold went 17 for 28 for 181 yards and not using a turnover and in addition tied his profession finest with a three-game successful streak as a starter, a feat the 2018 third general draft decide hadn’t achieved in three years. He left the sport to get his left knee checked after a late hit penalty on former Vikings defensive finish Danielle Hunter, however he got here again to a loud roar after being cleared by the medical employees.

The Vikings improved to 6-0 all time towards the Texans, who lastly scored with 3:56 left within the third quarter on a move from Stroud to Cam Akers, who spent a part of final season with the Vikings and bought his first begin with the Texans with Joe Mixon injured.

Stroud went 20 for 31 for 215 yards. This was the primary time in 10 begins he’d been picked off.

Stroud’s first move was swatted on the line by Harrison Phillips, sending the ball straight again to linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill for a gift-wrapped interception he returned to the 21. Darnold scrambled left six performs later and located Jefferson open within the entrance nook of the tip zone for the early lead.

The Vikings practically took one other turnover deep into Houston territory when Grugier-Hill wrestled a brief move away from tight finish Dalton Schultz and Stephon Gilmore scooped up the ball for a romp to the 25. The play was dominated incomplete after an extended evaluate, however after Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 54-yard field-goal try went barely extensive proper — his first miss of the season — the Vikings once more seized their field-position momentum and scored in six performs on a brief throw to Jones.

The Vikings had full respect for the expertise the Texans introduced, beginning with the 2023 second general draft decide in Stroud because the centerpiece of this on-the-rise workforce, however they have been assured their aggressive and unpredictable protection would current issues of its personal.

Greenard, certainly one of three ex-Texans within the combine for the Vikings, had the primary sack of Stroud within the first quarter by steamrolling rookie tight finish Cade Stover.

The Texans have been clearly off-kilter with the group noise that fed off the strain generated by defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his protegees, with six of seven first-half penalties coming previous to the snap.

4-time Professional Bowl left deal with Laremy Tunsil had three of them, one an unlawful formation name that erased a 3rd down throw that will’ve moved the chains to close midfield. One other one was the final of three straight false begins by the Texans after that they had third-and-4 on the Minnesota 25. Tunsil bought flagged once more for unlawful formation, which was declined by the Vikings so they might drive a punt.

Nico Collins, the NFL’s main receiver getting into the week with 252 yards within the first two video games, was principally a nonfactor as Gilmore and the remainder of the secondary saved him bottled up. His 34-yard catch on third down arrange Houston’s solely landing.

Stefon Diggs led the Texans with 10 catches for 94 yards in his first recreation in Minnesota since leaving the Vikings 4 years in the past. Diggs had 12 receptions for 128 yards for the Payments on Nov. 13, 2022, in a loss to the Vikings in Buffalo.

Texans: Along with the absence of Mixon (ankle), backup RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) missed his second straight recreation.

Vikings: WR Jordan Addison (ankle), LB Ivan Tempo Jr. (quad, ankle) and OLB Dallas Turner (knee) have been all inactive. Grugier-Hill took Tempo’s place within the first down protection.

Texans: Host Jacksonville subsequent Sunday.

Vikings: Go to Inexperienced Bay subsequent Sunday.