NFL Week 3 Recap: Minnesota Vikings 34, Houston Texans 7

Sam Darnold tied his career high with four touchdown passes, leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 34-7 win over the Houston Texans and keeping their undefeated season intact.

The Vikings defense, led by Jonathan Greenard‘s three sacks, pressured C.J. Stroud throughout the game, forcing two interceptions and disrupting the Texans offense.

Darnold found Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for early touchdowns. He later connected with Jalen Nailor for a touchdown for the third consecutive game and added a score to tight end Johnny Mundt.

Jefferson recorded six catches for 81 yards, while Jones added 102 rushing yards and 46 receiving yards. Darnold finished 17-of-28 for 181 yards, but while he didn't officially throw an interception, he did finish with two turnover-worthy plays.

PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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PLAYER OF THE GAME

Vikings running back Aaron Jones racked up 148 all-purpose yards, with 102 coming on the ground and another 46 coming through the air.

Jones ran the ball 19 times, with 75 of his total yardage coming after contact. He forced six missed tackles and moved the chains on four of his carries. As a receiver, he averaged a massive 11.8 yards after the catch per reception and generated a 149.0 passer rating when targeted.

BOX SCORE

Texans Vikings Total points 7 34 Total offensive plays 63 60 Average EPA per play -0.109 0.112 Total net yards 296 296 Avg yards per play 4.7 4.9 Total first downs 17 19 Rushing first downs 0 5 Passing first downs 16 12 Penalty first downs 1 2 Third-down efficiency 29% 46% Fourth-down efficiency 22% 14% Possessions 11 10 Avg plays per drive 5.9 7 Avg yards per drive 24.7 26.9 Avg points per drive 0.6 3.1 Red-zone possessions 2 5 Red-zone plays 8 15 Red-zone TDs 1 4 Red-zone FGs 0 1 Red-zone scoring efficiency 50% 100%

SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION

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