MINNEAPOLIS (PSF)—The Minnesota Vikings (3-0) crushed the Houston Texans (2-1) by a score of 34-7. The win was a result of a strong passing and rushing offense, combined with a defense that made the game difficult for the Texans.

Quarterback Sam Darnold continues to make life easy for both his specialty players, and the Vikings defense. Against the, at the time 11th best passing defense, Darnold threw for 181 yards and four touchdowns.

During his matchup with Houston, Darnold suffered a knee injury and was briefly substituted for QB Nick Mullins. On Monday, Darnold underwent an MRI and has more positive results. According to head coach Kevin O’Connell, the tests revealed bruising, but no significant structural damage to Darnold.

Running back Aaron Jones was the deadliest weapon in Minnesota’s offense, running up the gut for 102 yards and getting 46 receiving yards and one touchdown from the air.

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson lead the receiving core with six catches for 81 yards and one touchdown. Jefferson also suffered an injury in the Week 3 victory. For Jefferson, he suffered a jammed finger near the end of the second quarter.

According to coach O’Connell, there is no concerns about the injury that Jefferson suffered.

WR Jalen Nailor and tight end Johnny Mundt each caught a receiving touchdown against the Texans.

The defense did their part in sealing the victory over Houston. QB C.J. Stroud had his worse performance of the season up to date, with 215 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions against Minnesota.

The defense got a total of five sacks on Stroud. Three of those alone came from defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who now has four total sacks this season. Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and DE Jalen Redmond each had a sack of their own against the Texans.

When asked after the game about his time in Minnesota, Greenard stated, "I'm glad I'm here in Minnesota, man, because they respect me."

The Vikings also got two interceptions from safety Camryn Bynum and LB Kamu Grugier-Hill. Both of those crucial interceptions lead to touchdown passes from Darnold.

Minnesota now begins to prepare for its first divisional rivalry game of the season. This time against the Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin. To which Greenard said it’s going to be a “bloodbath.”