Tag: Houston Texas vs. Minnesota Vikings

 Laremy Tunsil’s penalties remain major issue for Texans entering Week 4

Houston Texans Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil currently leads all offensive linemen with 10 penalties through three games, including six false starts.

Laremy Tunsil is a Pro Bowl offensive tackle. His numbers in pass protection since joining the Houston Texans in 2019 would back up that statement.

But Tunsil is also an All-Pro in totaling penalties. It’s not just a 2024 problem, but rather one that’s lingered over the past several years at NRG Stadium.

Sunday, however, might have been an all-time low.

In the Texans’ 34-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, 11 penalties were called, including eight on the offensive line. Five were flagged against Tunsil, including three false starts. Two came on a crucial drive before halftime that knocked Houston out of field goal range.

“We go to the drawing board, and we fix it,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. “We have to line up right up, which I know we can do. We have to line up right and we have to protect as best we can up front.

“We have to swarm up front, and we have to get the guys blocked.”

Tunsil, a four-time Pro Bowler with the Texans, admitted there was a disconnect in how the games are being officiated with multiple inconsistencies.

That doesn’t change the fact that he leads the NFL in penalties and false starts with six. Last season, he led the NFL with false start penalties, too.

“I want people to understand that, the whole entire offense, it’s all of us,” Tunsil told KPRC 2 Sports’ Aaron Wilson. “We all have to be on the same accord and be on the same communication. It’s crazy. I’ll take the accountability because they’re calling my name, but it takes all of us. If people don’t understand that, it’s cool, though.”

Brian Flores, who right now seems like the front-runner to land a head coaching job again in 2024, cooked up a defensive bout that kept San Francisco’s offense at bay. It was more of the same with Bobby Slowik’s personnel heading to U.S. Bank Stadium.

The difference? Penalties. San Francisco committed four penalties and lost by six.

Tunsil’s five, plus the six others among five players, led to an 88-yard differential and a 27-point loss.

When the Texans are humming on offense, they’re a juggernaut that has no end in sight. When they stall, results like Sunday occur.

Fans are frustrated with Tunsil’s performance. They should be. He’s been the one constant of the roster during a four-year rebuild, but he’s also remained a constant in drawing penalties.

The season is far from lost. Houston can respond Sunday in a divisional matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it starts with protection up front.

Maybe the crowd noise won’t be a factor for the false starts? Then again, people have said this for years.

Texans-Vikings Week 3: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

Here’s how many snaps C.J. Stroud, Jalen Pitre and the rest of the Houston Texans saw in Sunday’s loss against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Houston Texans’ offense was expected to be one of the league’s finest with the arrival of Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs.

So far, the pedestrian results have led to the downfall of dominance over three weeks.

The Minnesota Vikings secured a 34-7 victory over Houston thanks to a four-touchdown day from Sam Darnold. The former No. 3 overall pick sliced and diced the Texans’ secondary to help Minnesota keep its undefeated season alive.

C.J. Stroud never got in a rhythm after tossing his first interception in 278 pass attempts on his first throw. The offensive line was marred by penalties, including five against Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil.

Former Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard made the most of his afternoon, totaling three sacks and two tackles for loss. Kanu Grugier-Hill, Houston’s leading tackler in 2021, intercepted Stroud to set up an 8-yard touchdown pass from Darnold to Justin Jefferson in the first quarter.

Diggs, a former Vikings star best known for his ‘Minneapolis Miracle’ catch,  might have been the lone bright spot on offense thanks to his six first-down receptions. Not only did Diggs lead Houston’s passing game with 90 receiving yards, but his 10 catches marked a season-high by any Texans’ receiver.

“We’re still a force to be reckoned with. and we’re still very dangerous,” Stroud said postgame. “We’ve built a foundation solid on rock. We’re not going to act like everything was perfect out there, but we’re not going to act like there wasn’t some positives.”

Here are the snap counts for every player that contributed to the Texans’ Week 3 loss.

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Offensive snaps: 67
Defensive snaps: 63
Special teams snaps: 14

Diggs and tight end Dalton Schultz led Houston’s skill players in reps and were the only two to record more than 56 snaps. Nico Collins, who finished with four catches for 86 yards, played 82 percent of snaps.

Without Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce, Cam Akers was expected to take over as the new lead back. That actually wasn’t the case since Dare Ogunbowale totaled 28 reps as the No. 2 option.

Akers, who scored on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Stroud in the third quarter, finished with 29.

Safety Jimmie Ward was the only player to play 100 percent of the reps on defense. Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jalen Pitre finished with 62 reps after being pulled on one play.

The Texans return to NRG Stadium for their first divisional matchup of the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Texans Wire Player of the Game: WR Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs wasn’t perfect, but he was the Houston Texans’ most consistent target in Sunday’s loss against the Minnesota Vikings.

While the Houston Texans suffered an embarrassing 34-7 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, they did win in one area.

Leadership.

And the man at the helm? All-Pro receiver and newcomer Stefon Diggs, who stepped into the captain role after Houston found itself trailing 14-0 entering the second quarter.

Diggs, who spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the NFC North franchise, wasn’t pleased with how the team looked after promising outings against Indianapolis and Chicago. He told reporters postgame that no one was playing the standard expected from a contending club.

“At the end of the day, we’ll be fine,” Diggs said postgame in the locker room at U.S. Bank Stadium. “Obviously, things didn’t go as planned, but was trying to get things back on track.”

While the Texans’ offense stalled, Diggs delivered. In his first game back since being traded to Buffalo in 2020, the four-time Pro Bowler Houston in receptions (10), targets (12) and receiving yards (90). He also picked up seven of the Texans’ 16 first downs.

“I played here for a long time, and I saw lots of offenses struggle when I was on the other side,” Diggs said. “Obviously, it was a tough atmosphere, but a lot of it was self-inflicted.”

Overall, no one stood out on either side. Tim Settle Jr. had two sacks in his first start. Cam Akers, who filled in for the injured Joe Mixon, found the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud but mustered up only 21 rushing yards.

Stroud, who was consistent in his first two starts, finished 20-of-31 for 215 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. His first pass of the afternoon was picked off when Harrison Phillips batted the ball right into the hands of former Texans linebacker Kamu Gruiger-Hill for a 21-yard return.

His second interception was just a late pass intended for Nico Collins, who finished with four catches for 86 yards.

“We’re still a force to be reckoned with. and we’re still very dangerous,” Stroud said. “We’ve built a foundation solid on rock.”

Someone has to earn player of the game stats. When looking at the emotions surrounding Diggs’ return to the place that kickstarted his All-Pro career, it’s hard to argue with the results.

For his efforts, Diggs is Texans Wire’s Player of the Week and the third recipient of the award, joining Mixon and kicker Kai’imi Fairbairn.

Instant analysis: Texans struggle to find offensive consistency in loss to Vikings

The Houston Texans stumble on offense en route to their first loss of the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings.

This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline

They don’t call it the Frozen Thundra for nothing.

The Houston Texans’ offense remained cold as C.J. Stroud threw a pair of interceptions en route to a 34-7 loss against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Davis Mills replaced Stroud in the final five minutes to ensure he remained healthy for next week’s divisional matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In a game with countless history between both sides, Minnesota (3-0) set the standard thanks to a pair of former Texans. Jonathan Greenard, who led the Texans in sacks last year, pressured Stroud into throwing a tad late on the opening drive.

His pass was batted at the line of scrimmage and landed in the arms of former Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill for an interception.

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Stroud, who was 20 of 31 for 215 yards, was sacked four times. The rhythm between the Pro Bowl quarterback and go-to receiver Nico Collins was off, minus a 34-yard gain in the third quarter.

That set up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Cam Akers, who recorded his first start since Week 1 of the 2023 season in place of the injured Joe Mixon.

Defensively, Houston couldn’t slow down former first-round pick Sam Darnold’s connection with Justin Jefferson in the first half. Following Stroud’s first interception, the duo connected on an 8-yard pass to take an early 7-0 lead.

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Darnold, who was 17 of 28 for 181 yards, connected with Aaron Jones for scores in the first quarter to extend the lead to 14. In the second half, he delivered a touchdown to Jalen Nailor for the third straight game and before tying his career-high in touchdown passes on a 4-yard pass to tight end Johnny Mundt in the fourth.

Houston’s defense recorded four sacks but allowed four explosive plays of 20-plus yards.

The Texans never capitalized and were clearly off-balance between a blend of crowd noise and pressure generated by defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Last week against the 49ers, Flores forced Brock Prudy into throwing two interceptions because of his pressure rate.

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Greenard finished with three sacks against his former teammate. Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was flagged five times, including three for false starts, bringing his season total to seven through three games.

Stefon Diggs, who returned to Minneapolis for the first time since being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, led the Texans with 10 catches for 94 yards. Collins, who entered Sunday as the NFL’s leading receiver, finished with 86 yards on four catches.

The Vikings improved to 6-0 all-time against the Texans and 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2016.

The Texans return home to take on the Jaguars next Sunday at noon CT.

Watch: Texans RB Cam Akers scores TD against Vikings

Cam Akers puts the Houston Texans on the board against the Minnesota Vikings.

Cam Akers played six games with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023 before suffering a season-ending Achille tear. He never found the end zone while at U.S. Bank Stadium.

That statement is now false, although Akers didn’t score in a Vikings uniform.

The Houston Texans are on the board after a sluggish first half thanks to an 8-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Akers. Entering the fourth quarter, the Texans trail by two scores.

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The Texans entered “urgency mode” after Minnesota went up 21-0 with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Stroud, who threw an interception on the opening drive to former Houston linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, connected with Nico Collins for a 34-yard pickup on third-and-11 from the Minnesota 47 to land inside the red zone.

Akers, who hadn’t scored since Oct. 29 against the Green Bay Packers, evaded a tackle against Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and punched it for six points.

That was the version of the Texans that set a standard in Week 1’s win against the Colts. Collins, who only had one reception in the first half, has been the vertical threat downfield for Houston’s offense through three games.

The Texans must see more of that version if they plan to mount a comeback in the final 15 minutes of action.

Texans vs. Vikings: RB Cam Akers makes first start since 2023

For the first time in over a year, Houston Texans running back Cam Akers is starting a football game.

For the first time since Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season, Cam Akers is starting at running back.

The best part? It’s against his former team.

With the Houston Texans down two running backs, Akers started the game behind C.J. Stroud at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings. 

After a promising preseason, Akers proved he could still have value as a secondary runner despite coming off a torn Achilles. He led the Texans in rushing yards and scored a pair of touchdowns as the team’s top back against the Los Angeles Rams.

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After starting with Los Angeles in 2023, Akers was traded to the Vikings. He was in a groove as the No. 2 option before suffering a second torn Achilles on November 5.

Earlier this week, Akers said he was ready to start if given the opportunity.

“You don’t got to get ready when you stay ready,” Akers told reporters. “I’ve been preparing for this moment, and I’m ready for it. I’m ready to take advantage.”

The Texans are looking for their first start since 2012 and their first win over the Vikings in franchise history.

Who wins Week 3 game between Texans and Vikings?

Who wins Sunday afternoon when the Houston Texans take on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium?

The Houston Texans will battle the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon for what could be the top early slate game of Week 3. 

These two potential contenders met earlier will have plenty in common after a promising offseason. After winning the AFC South for the first time in four years, the Texans bolstered both sides of the ball by adding former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter and All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs. 

Minnesota, which parted ways with Kirk Cousins in favor of Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, actually landed several former Texans in the offseason. Defensive end Jonathan Greenard inked a four-year deal to serve as Hunter’s replacement while Texans leading tackler Blake Cashman returned to his home state.

The Vikings also signed cornerback Shaq Griffin, who started the season with Houston before being released in November.

And if that’s not enough ties between the two sides, Houston traded its 2024 first-round pick to Minnesota in exchange for two second-round picks, including a 2025 selection. That pick was used to acquire Diggs from Buffalo, who previously spent five seasons with the Vikings before being traded in 2020.

Crazy offseason leading up to kickoff, right?

Houston secured a 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football thanks to four field goals from AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Ka’imi Fairbairn. C.J. Stroud connected with Nico Collins eight times for an NFL-leading 135 yards and a touchdown.

The Vikings dominated against the reigning NFC champions San Francisco in a 23-17 win. Please don’t let the score fool you since Minnesota jumped out to a 20-7 lead entering the fourth quarter.

All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, who suffered a calf injury last week, will play in Sunday’s contest. And while the Vikings will be without stars Jordan Addison and Dallas Turner, the Texans will be without Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce.

The Texans are a 2.5-point road favorite against the Vikings, per BetMGM. It’s a slight surprise since Houston is 0-for-2 against the spread to begin the year. 

Will Houston set a standard and remain undefeated? Will the Vikings become the team people must discuss heading into Week 4? 

Who wins on Sunday?

VOTE!

Texans WR Stefon Diggs excited for ‘Minnesota nice’ welcome from Vikings in first game back

For the first time since being traded, Stefon Diggs will return to US Bank Stadium as the Houston Texans take on the Minnesota Vikings.

Stefon Diggs knows how things ended with the Minnesota Vikings.

The future All-Pro receiver was frustrated with his limited role in the offense despite proving his value as a legitimate No. 1 target. Tensions rose between the two sides, ultimately leading to an offseason trade in 2020 to Buffalo.

But the newest Houston Texans target is still thankful for his five seasons with Minnesota. He only talks positively about his time with the franchise that saw his worth in the fifth round back in 2015.

“They took a real chance for me,” Diggs told reporters Thursday afternoon. “I’m forever thankful for that.”

Diggs will return to US Bank Stadium for the first time since being traded on Sunday as the Texans take on an undefeated Vikings team that has new life under Sam Darnold. While Minnesota might not have envisioned a future without Diggs, things have been better than advertised with their net investment of Justin Jefferson.

“They got a hell of a team,” Diggs said. “Obviously, they got off to a hot start. They’re 2-0. They’ve got a lot of good players over there. They’ve got a defense that’s flying around, definitely looking impressive on tape.”

Vikings fans should still have fond memories of Diggs’ dominance for five seasons in the NFC North. He’s perhaps best known for his game-winning 61-yard touchdown pass from then-Viking and current Texans quarterback Case Keenum against the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFC Divisional Round.

On top of being one half of the “Minneapolis Miracle,” Diggs posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons while helping Minnesota reach the playoffs three times, including 2019.

“‘Minnesota nice’ was always a thing,” Diggs said of the fans. “I had a hell of a time there. The people were amazing. I kind of look forward to going back.”

While Diggs, who leads Houston with two touchdown receptions, might be remembered for his arrival as a Vikings’ foundation piece, most haven’t forgotten about his departure. He was fined multiple times in 2019 for missing meetings and practice, which was the start to the end.

Both sides ended up walking away better from the breakup. Diggs, who helped revive the fandom in Buffalo, went on to have four Pro Bowl seasons while helping the Bills reach the playoffs four times. He also finished with over 101 receptions each of his seasons as Josh Allen’s top target.

Jefferson, who was selected with the draft pick used to acquire Diggs, has transformed into the league’s top receiver. The All-Pro has posted four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns while totaling back-to-back 100-plus reception seasons.

Through two games, he remains Darnold’s security blanket, hauling in eight passes for 192 yards and two scores.

“He’s a hell of a receiver,” Diggs said of Jefferson. “He’s nothing short of exceptional as I like to say. He accounts for 50 percent of their offense so that says alot of about not just him as a player but also their offense.

“He’s going to definetly be a task for our defense. They say the good receivers you can’t stop for long but can only control them for a little bit.”

The team Diggs left is no longer the team he’ll face. Kirk Cousins, who replaced Keenum in 2018, is now with the Atlanta Falcons. Adam Thielen, Diggs’ counterpart, is now catching passes for the Carolina Panthers. Running back Davlin Cook is with the Dallas Cowboys. Tight end Kyle Rudolph retired in 2022.

Defensive guru Mike Zimmer was replaced by offensive mastermind Kevin O’Connell as head coach two years after Diggs left. And fellow 2015 draft selection Danielle Hunter has reunited with his Viking teammate in Houston. Former Texans star Jonathan Greenard became Hunter’s replacement up north following a breakout year in 2023.

“The team doesn’t look exactly how it used to look, but it’s some familiar faces over there,” Diggs said. “It’s definitely exciting times. Kind of nostalgic, I guess a little bit going back. But, you know, we’re going there on business too.”

Diggs said he tries not to get too attached to the past and focus on the present. He also knows there will be a moment when it all hits for the first time he returns as a foe rather than a friend.

“It’s obviously something you can’t avoid or can’t ignore, going back to Minnesota where I spent the majority of my career,” Diggs said. “I look forward to going back, seeing some familiar faces and trying to get a dub.”

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson ‘for sure’ playing vs. Texans

Justin Jefferson plans on suiting up this Sunday when the Houston Texans take the field against the Minnesota Vikings.

Justin Jefferson told reporters following Sunday’s 23-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers that he wouldn’t miss time despite leaving early with a quad injury.

The Minnesota Vikings star receiver seems to be a man of his word.
Jefferson told reporters Thursday that there’s “no doubt “he will play Sunday against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Although limited in practice this week, the All-Pro pass-catcher wants to help the NFC North franchise remain undefeated entering Week 4.

“It feels great, every day it feels a lot better,” Jefferson said of his quad injury. “Just taking it day by day, staying in the treatment room and working with those guys to make sure I’m feeling fantastic Sunday.”

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Jefferson’s return now puts Houston in a bind on how to gameplan for the offense headlined by former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold. The Texans could elect to have Derek Stingley Jr. travel with his former LSU teammate, allowing rookie Kamari Lassiter to adjust to NFL speed.

Last season, Stingley didn’t start the year traveling since DeMeco Ryans had faith in fellow veteran corner Steven Nelson. By the time playoffs began, the former All-American was mirroring every team’s top target.

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“He’s one of the best in the league,” Stingley told reporters Thursday. “He knows how to get open. I gotta try and minimize that.”

While Jefferson will take the field, second-year target Jordan Addison is not expected to play. He’s been dealing with an ankle injury and has not practiced for two weeks.

Report: Vikings WR Justin Jefferson ‘on track’ to play against Texans

Justin Jefferson is likely taking the field against the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.

Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson suffered a quad injury during Sunday’s 23–17 win over the San Francisco 49ers, but head coach Kevin O’Connell offered a positive update during his press conference heading into Week 3’s showdown against the Houston Texans. 

“Justin did come in today feeling pretty good, which was a positive based upon the initial quad contusion that kinda happened on that run play,” O’Connell said. “We’ll be day-to-day with Justin. We’ll keep you guys posted throughout the week on his workload and what it looks like for Sunday, but pretty positive in the early returns there.”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, despite being limited in Wednesday’s practice, Jefferson is ‘on track’ to face Houston at home in what will be a showdown between two undefeated squads.

Jefferson said following Sunday’s game that he wasn’t planning on missing any games due to injury. He might be limited in practice, but a half-healthy Jefferson is better than not having the All-Pro target on the field against a fierce Texans’ defensive front.

“I’m not seriously injured,” Jefferson said. “So that’s the main important thing. So it’s just all about getting to the training room, making sure my body is right for next week, and I’ll be ready to go next Sunday.”

Jefferson’s will create a more dynamic matchup for Texans cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr and Kamari Lassiter. If DeMeco Ryans elects not to have Stingley travel, Lassiter, who recorded his first interception in last week’s win over the Bears, will be tasked with slowing down perhaps the league’s top target.

Late last season, Ryans started having Stingley travel to match up with a team’s No. 1 receiver. It helped eliminate explosive plays while securing a postseason berth for the first time in four years.

With Sam Darnold taking over as the starting quarterback, Jefferson is on pace for another 1,000-yard campaign. He’s totaled 192 yards through two weeks, including four receptions of over 20 yards. In Sunday’s 23-17 win over the 49ers, he caught a 97-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.

Since being drafted out of LSU in 2020, Jefferson has recorded 400 receptions for 6,091 yards, 32 touchdowns, and an average of 15.2 yards per reception in 62 games.