Texans Preparing for 'Versatile' Vikings Defense

The Houston Texans know they will see a multitude of looks against the Minnesota Vikings.

Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes against the Chicago Bears in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans are facing off against the Minnesota Vikings, who have surprisingly started the season 2-0 after beating the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

A large part of Minnesota's early success has been its defense, which is led by defensive coordinator and former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans knows that Flores is one of the best defensive minds in the NFL and that it will be a challenge to face off against the unit.

“With Brian’s defense, he presents a lot of different looks, a lot of looks that many teams don’t do, he – and they do a really good job of communicating across the board," Ryans said. "So, you can tell, first and foremost, Brian does a great job of coaching those guys up to where they’re all working together, they’re working in sync. It may look like a lot of craziness going on, a lot of guys moving around, but they’re in sync.”

READ MORE: Texans Trade for Panthers RB in Mock Deal

The Texans know a few familiar faces on defense, including defensive end Jonathan Greenard and linebacker Blake Cashman, who were both in Houston last year.

C.J. Stroud faced off against them in practice, and he knows that Flores' scheme is putting them in a position to succeed.

“He does a great job of mixing it up," Stroud said. "A lot of great looks to make you think twice and to get you off your game. I’m a big fan of his. He does a really great job in that whole scheme taking what they did in New England and doing its own twist to it. A lot of respect for those guys and we’ve got to be on our A game in every single way. He does a great job of mixing looks and being very versatile with putting his D-linemen in 1-1 situations and making his DBs look great in coverage, so he does a really good job.”

The best way to confuse a quarterback is to be inconsistent. The game will be a test of Stroud's preparedness to see if he can withstand and diagnose all of the different ways he can be attacked. If he passes the test, the Texans should fly back home with a 3-0 record.

---

READ MORE: Texans Kicker Wins NFL Award

Stick with TexansGameday for more coverage of the Houston Texans throughout the season. 

Read More Houston Texans News

• Texans Coach Talks Joe Mixon Injury

• Texans Star Has Top Selling Jersey in NFL

• Texans Star Has Homecoming Return in Vikings Game

• Texans Star Gets Injury Update for Vikings Game