This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccurate headline
They don’t call it the Frozen Thunder for nothing.
THE The Houston Texans The offense remained cold as CJ Stroud threw a pair of interceptions en route to a 34-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Davis Mills replaced Stroud in the final five minutes to ensure he stays healthy for next week’s divisional game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In a game with a long history between the two teams, Minnesota (3-0) set the standard thanks to a pair of veterans TexansJonathan Greenard, who led the Texans in sacks last year, pressured Stroud to throw a little late on the opening drive.
His pass was batted at the line of scrimmage and landed in the arms of former Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill for an interception.
Stroud, who completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards, was tackled four times. The rhythm between the Pro Bowl quarterback and go-to receiver Nico Collins was off, with a 34-yard gain in the third quarter.
That set up a 6-yard touchdown pass for Cam Akers, who made his first start since Week 1 of the 2023 season in place of the injured Joe Mixon.
On defense, Houston couldn’t slow down former first-round pick Sam Darnold’s connection with Justin Jefferson in the first half. After Stroud’s first interception, the duo completed an 8-yard pass to take a 7-0 lead.
Darnold, who completed 17 of 28 passes for 181 yards, connected with Aaron Jones for scores in the first quarter to extend the lead to 14. In the second half, he threw a touchdown to Jalen Nailor for the third straight game and tied his career high for touchdown passes on a 4-yard pass to tight end Johnny Mundt in the fourth.
Houston’s defense recorded four sacks but allowed four explosive plays of 20-plus yards.
The Texans never took advantage of it and were clearly unbalanced between the crowd noise and the pressure generated by defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Last week against the 49ers, Flores forced Brock Prudy into throwing two interceptions because of his pressure rate.
Greenard finished the game with three sacks on his former teammate. Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was penalized five times, including three for false starts, bringing his season total to seven in three games.
Stefon Diggs, who returned to Minneapolis for the first time since being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020, led the Texans with 10 receptions for 94 yards. Collins, who entered Sunday as the NFL’s leading receiver, finished with 86 yards on four receptions.
The Vikings improved to 6-0 against the Texans and 3-0 on the season for the first time since 2016.
The Texans return home to face the Jaguars next Sunday at noon CT.
This article was originally published on Texans Wire: Instant Analysis: Texans struggle to find offensive consistency in loss to Vikings
