Not many expected the Week 3 matchup between the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings to be a battle of unbeatens this Sunday. But after the Texans defeated the Chicago Bears, and the Vikings upset the San Francisco 49ers last week, these two clubs, with far different quarterback stories, are 2-0 and headline this week’s Caplin News NFL Preview.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has finally solidified a name for himself in the NFL, making the most of his opportunity as a full-time starter because of Minnesota’s injury situation. This is Darnold’s fourth NFL stop. Meanwhile, Texans quarterback CJ Stroud, a rookie last year, has continued to show his talent on the field this season and is the unquestioned franchise player in Houston.
This will be a relatively healthy match for both teams as they enter the weekend in first place. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, in his weekly press conference, commended the Texans as he prepared for their visit to Minneapolis.
“They really built all the right things when you look at things within this league,” he said. “They’ve got some really talented players.”
Texans coach Demeco Ryans is equally impressed by his opponent and particularly perplexed by building a game plan to stop Darnold and an offense averaging 25.5 points per game.
“They make it challenging on us from an offensive perspective. So, I already know going into it, we have to be on it with our cadence,” he said. “We have to be on it with our pre-snap communication all the way across the board.”
The teams play at 1 p.m. EST.
CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-2) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (1-1), 4:05 P.M.
The Carolina Panthers suffered a loss last Sunday, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-3, and have been scrambling ever since.
On Monday, one day after the loss, quarterback Bryce Young was benched, a headline that reverberated around the league. This is, after all, just his second season with the Panthers. In 2023, Young was selected with the No. 1 overall pick, coming out of Alabama.
It is expected that backup Andy Dalton will replace Young in Sunday’s game against the Raiders. And it won’t be easy. Las Vegas improved to 1-1 after upsetting the heavily favored Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.
It has been almost a year since Dalton played, although he appeared to be in high spirits when speaking with reporters in his midweek media availability. Dalton understands that he has not been in such a position recently, but has assured his teammates that he has everything under control, adding that his “routine has not changed at all from when I was playing to when I wasn’t playing.”
Additionally, he explained that he knew the things he’d have to accomplish each day and throughout the week to prepare for the Raiders.
DETROIT LIONS (1-1) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-1), 4:35 P.M.
The Lions, among the most notable favorites to win the Super Bowl, also suffered a loss last Sunday, dropping a surprising 20-16 decision to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell took accountability for the home defeat, saying that the Lions encountered several miscues throughout the game, but overall, the “massive error [was] on my part, no one else’s.”
The Cardinals are a surprising 1-1, after showing out last week in the home opener against the Los Angeles Rams. A 41-10 win was highlighted by quarterback Kyler Murray completing 17 of his 21 passes for 266 yards.
Murray also threw for three touchdowns, and rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was responsible for catching two of those three scores. Tight end Elijah Higgins caught the other touchdown pass, and the Cardinals scored each quarter of that win.
“The nature of the way they play, I would say schematically on both sides of the ball, it’s tricky. They run some things that are not unorthodox, it’s just they give you a lot,” Campbell said of the Cardinals. “And they’re very active up front. Offensively, they give you a lot of different personnel groups. They play hard, they’re physical.”
