The Minnesota Vikings are one of the best teams in football, and they enforced their will on the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.
The Vikings moved to 5-0 on the season after a dominant 31-13 victory over the Texans in Week 5. The Texans now sit at 3-2 on the season.
Once again, it was the Vikingsā defense that shined this week. With elite-level talent throughout the unit, the Vikings have arguably the best defense in the entire NFL and they showed up in a big way on Sunday.
The Texans simply could not get anything going in this game. Brock Osweiler appeared confused and hurried against the Vikingsā defense. They did not end up with huge sack totals during the game, but the Vikingsā defense was able to create consistent pressure on Osweiler.
Osweiler is a talented passer who can make plays, but he struggles at dealing with pressure. The Vikings knew this and made sure to make him as uncomfortable as possible in this game.
The Texans not only couldnāt get anything going through the air, they simply could not run the ball. Lamar Miller finished with only 20 yards on eight carries against the Vikings. Alfred Blue was able to get something going later in the game (six carries for 39 yards), but that was all in garbage time.
Offensively, the Vikings started fast. They scored on their first drive of the game. It was an 84-yard drive that was capped off by a 36-yard touchdown pass from Sam Bradford to Adam Thielen. The Vikingsā defense then forced the Texans to a quick three and out, before Bradford led a 55-yard touchdown drive.
This time, running back Matt Asiata scored on a one-yard run to put the Vikings up 14-0. They were able to add plenty more, but the game was essentially over from that point on. Bradford continued to play well throughout the day with Thielen being his number one target.
Jerick McKinnon and the Vikingsā rushing attack never really got going like I expected, but they simply did not need them to. The Vikings got more than enough offense early in this game, and the defense was able to take care of the rest.
Highlights
Sam Bradford a Adam Thielen y los Vikings siguen impresionando. https://t.co/IBAqGtN4bL
ā NFL Latino TV š (@NFLlatinoTV) October 9, 2016
Three Stars
Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen is a former undrafted free agent who the Vikings signed out of Minnesota State University in 2013. He was never much more than a special teams contributor for Minnesota in the past, but he has found himself in a major role in their offense this season.
Theilen is a tough and gritty receiver who simply knows how to get open. He is not the biggest, fastest or most athletic player on the field, but he steps up when the Vikings need him to. His seven receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Texans was far and away the best game of Theilenās career.
Expect him to continue to contribute for the Vikings going forward. Bradford certainly seems to trust him.
Brian Robison
Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter have been the most impactful edge rushers for the Vikings for most of this season. However, Brian Robison was the guy who stepped on Sunday.
The Vikings did a great job of making Osweiler uncomfortable throughout the game. That being said, Robison was the only one who was able to land multiple sacks, taking down Osweiler twice in this game. On a defense full of stars, Robison can easily be the forgotten man. However, he stepped up big in this game.
Sam Bradford
The Vikings do not need Bradford to be perfect, but he continues to step up and play well for them at the quarterback position. In such a stable situation, Bradford is playing the best football of his NFL career as he leads strong and consistent Vikingsā offense.
Against a good Texansā defense, Bradford completed 22 of 30 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He did not turn the ball over.
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Next Week
In Week 6 action, the Texans will host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football while the Vikings will be on a bye.