MINNEAPOLIS – In the sloppiest performance of the Texans on both sides of the football in the past two seasons, the Texans lost their first game of the season.
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It was a thorough beatdown as the Vikings dominated the Texans in every facet of the game.
Here are five reasons why the 2-1 Texans absorbed a 34-7 defeat at U.S. Bank Stadium:
1. A lack of discipline and alignment on offense as Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil and center Juice Scruggs were repeatedly flagged by referee Shawn Hochuli and his officiating crew. At one point, Hochuli shook his head as the Texans were flagged for three consecutive false starts. They were penalized 11 times for 88 yards and are now up to 28 penalties for the season for 233 yards. Whatever the issue is, the Texans have to fix the problem immediately.
2. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold smoothly orchestrated the offense, taking advantage of holes in the Texans’ secondary to complete 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 119.2 passer rating.
3. The Texans’ offense looked utterly confused against Vikings defensive boss Brian Flores’ unpredictable, aggressive defensive schemes. Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud threw two uncharacteristic interceptions. his first of the season and finished 20 of 31 for 215 yards and one touchdown pass to running back Cam Akers that allowed the Texans to avoid the embarrassment of a shutout. Stroud was hit eight times overall. His favorite targets were Stefon Diggs (10 catches, 94 yards, 12 targets) and Nico Collins (four catches, 86 yards on six targets), but neither got in the end zone. Former Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard was unblockable as he had three sacks in his first game against his former team since signing a four-year, $72 million free agent deal.
4. Without star running back Joe Mixon due to a sprained ankle, the Texans’ running game never got on track. They rushed for just 38 yards on 14 carries for an average of 2.7 yards per run as Akers finished with a team-high 21 yards on nine carries for a 2.3 average. The Texans abandoned the run as they fell behind on the scoreboard.
5. Vikings powerful running back Aaron Jones excelled against the Texans’ porous defense, rushing for 102 yards on 19 carries and caught five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown on six targets. By the second half once the Texans shifted corner Derek Stingley Jr. got some opportunities to cover Justin Jefferson, the game was already decided as he caught six passes for 81 yards and a score on eight first-half targets.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
