It’s only one game, but the plane ride back to Houston will be a quiet one.
Sam Darnold matched his career high with four touchdown passes as the undefeated Minnesota Vikings secured their best start in 2016 with the 34-7 win over the Texans on Sunday.
C.J. Stroud threw two costly interceptions and never was in a rhythm with any of his targets. The Texans (2-1) didn’t get on the board until late in the third quarter when Stroud found Cam Akers for a 6-yard touchdown pass.
The offensive line never got set as six for the seven first-half penalties knocked the Texans out of field goal range. Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil was flagged three times, including one on an illegal formation call that erased a third-down conversion at midfield.
If there were any positives, it’s that Houston has a stable No. 2 target in Stefon Diggs. In his first game back at U.S. Bank Stadium since being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, the All-Pro target finished with 10 catches for a team-leading 92 yards.
Former Texans star Jonathan Greenard finished with three sacks and four pressures. Fellow Houston alum Kamu Grugier-Hill picked off Stroud on his first pass after Harrison Phillips swatted the ball at the line.
Following the loss, social media wasn’t kind. Here are some of the worst reactions.
