Darnold throws 4 TD passes, Vikings cruise to 3-0 start with win over Texans

The Vikings have cemented themselves as a genuine contender in the NFC this year.

Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The evidence is overwhelming; the sample size is big enough; there can no longer be any question about it: The Minnesota Vikings are a contender. Not just a good team, a legitimate contender.

Coming off of a statement win over the 49ers last week, the Vikings backed up the hype with another thoroughly impressive performance against the Houston Texans – good team – on Sunday. Sam Darnold threw four touchdown passes, Brian Flores' defense continued to wreak havoc and force turnovers, and the Vikings beat the Texans 34-7 in front of a raucous, giddy crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Through three weeks this season, the Vikings are 3-0 with a +55 point differential. They blew out the Giants, who are 2-0 since then; they were a fumble away from blowing out the 49ers, and in perhaps their most eye-opening outing yet, they just blew out a very good Texans team. What more could one need to see to believe that this team is for real?

Darnold went 17 of 28 for 181 yards and four scores, finding Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones, Jalen Nailor, and Johnny Mundt in the end zone. He now has eight touchdown passes in his first three games with the Vikings, which leads the NFL and is his new career-high for any three-game span. He is absolutely thriving in Kevin O'Connell's offense, and thankfully survived a momentary injury scare in the second half.

Sam Darnold is good at football 🤌

— J.J. McCarthy (@jjmccarthy09) September 22, 2024

Jefferson had 81 receiving yards. Jones had his first 100-yard rushing game with the Vikings, racking up 148 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches. The Vikings' offense, playing without Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, poured a season-high 34 points on the Texans.

We've gotta talk about this defense, too. Led by Brian Flores, this has been the best defense in the NFL through three weeks. They came away with two more takeaways in this game on interceptions by Kamu Grugier-Hill and Camryn Bynum. They sacked C.J. Stroud five times, with three of them coming from former Texan Jonathan Greenard. The last team with at least five sacks in each of the first three games of the season was the 2001 New Orleans Saints. The Vikings also held the Texans to a 4-of-14 conversion rate on third down.

Flores' defense, which majors in chaos and deception and disruption, made Stroud and the Texans look timid, confused, and totally out of sorts. That's a very good offense that just managed one single touchdown against the Vikings. After three games, they've given up a grand total of 30 points.

The Vikings set the tone right away with a first quarter that couldn't have gone much better. On the first official play from scrimmage, Jonathan Bullard deflected a ball that was picked off by Grugier-Hill, snapping Stroud's streak of 266 attempts without an interception. A few minutes later, Darnold rolled to his left and hit Jefferson for a touchdown.

Flores' defense nearly came away with another takeaway on the Texans' second possession, but a fumble was overturned to an incomplete pass. A missed field goal set the Vikings up with good field position anyways. And a few minutes later, Darnold hit Jones on a crosser for his second touchdown pass of the quarter.

The second quarter saw six punts and zero points, which was fine with the Vikings, who took their two-touchdown lead into the halftime locker room. When they came out and opened the second half with Darnold's third TD pass, this one to Nailor — which was set up by a long DPI penalty — the Texans were in deep trouble. After Houston's lone touchdown cut the deficit to 14, the Vikings pulled away in the fourth.

This is no fluke. These Vikings are deep, well-coached, and extremely good. Their next chance to emphasize that comes next week at Lambeau Field against the rival Packers.