Live: Vikings lead Texans 21-7 in third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium

The 2-0 Vikings host the 2-0 Houston Texans at noon Sunday (CBS). Check back here often for live updates and analysis from U.S. Bank Stadium.

• NFL Week 3 scoreboard

2:15 p.m.: Texans get on the board

The Houston Texans looked lifeless until a third-and-12 play at midfield. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud found his leading receiver, Nico Collins, in stride for a 34-yard gain – Houston's first pass to gain over 20 yards in the game. That happened when the Vikings' top cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, watched the entire drive from the sideline.

Two quick passes later and Stroud had his first touchdown pass of the afternoon, hitting former Vikings running back Cam Akers near the sideline for an 8-yard catch and run into the end zone to pull the Texans to within 21-7.

1:50 p.m.: Vikings open second half with TD drive

Despite former Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs trying to pump up his team on the sideline before the start of the second half, the Vikings kept rolling.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell toyed with the Texans defense while marching downfield for another touchdown and 21-0 lead. O'Connell put quarterback Sam Darnold under center and oscillated between handoffs to Aaron Jones and play-action passes to Jalen Nailor, including an 18-yard strike for a first down.

Then Darnold flipped the ball to Jones, who tossed it to receiver Justin Jefferson on a reverse; Jefferson pitched the ball back to Darnold for a trick shot downfield. Darnold's pass soared over tight end Johnny Mundt, but he drew a defensive pass interference penalty that set up the Vikings at the goal line. Two plays later, on second and goal from the 4, Darnold found Nailor in the back of the end zone for his third passing touchdown. — ANDREW KRAMMER

1:30 p.m.: Halftime analysis

The Vikings are still up 14-0 at halftime, following a scoreless second quarter where both teams showed the depth of their impressive pass rushing groups.

Minnesota's defense affected the Texans as much through its pre-snap looks as its post-snap production; with the U.S. Bank Stadium crowd roaring, the Texans were flagged for false starts on three straight plays, followed by an illegal formation penalty that was declined when Stroud threw incomplete on third-and-19. On the next drive, Laremy Tunsil was called for his second illegal formation, for lining up a step behind the line of scrimmage as the Vikings showed a seven-man front. The half ended with an Andrew Van Ginkel sack of C.J. Stroud that ran the clock out.

The Vikings, though, had a chance to add more points before halftime, in a drive that ended with a pair of Texans sacks. Houston got home with a late blitz that led to a Tim Settle Jr. sack after Sam Darnold held the ball. Then, Will Anderson Jr. got to Darnold with a rush off the right side of the Vikings' offensive line, while Jerry Hughes closed off the pocket with a stunt up the middle.

Both teams have two sacks and four quarterback hits; the Vikings outgained the Texans 136-122 in the first half, though Houston held the ball for 18:38. — BEN GOESSLING

1:10 p.m.: Bryant to be honored at halftime

It is Legends weekend for the Vikings and many of the team's greats are in the stadium today. Longtime Vikings defensive back Bobby Bryant will be honored at halftime with his induction into the Ring of Honor. He is perhaps one of the last members of the Bud Grant era to enter the Ring of Honor. He is the 15th member, and 11th player, of the Grant era to join the group. Read more about Bryant here.

12:45 p.m.: First-quarter analysis

In one of two games this week between a pair of 2-0 teams, the Vikings have a 14-0 lead after a first quarter that couldn't have gone much better for them.

They handled the Texans' pass rush, giving Sam Darnold enough clean pockets to complete six of his eight passes for 60 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Darnold had to break the pocket several times on the Vikings' first drive, but had plenty of time to work through one of Kevin O'Connell's designer play concepts on the second score, where Justin Jefferson came out of the backfield and drew coverage away from the mesh concept in the middle of the field.

On defense, the Vikings have forced C.J. Stroud to hold the ball; the second-year QB completed only four of his eight passes for 22 yards and an interception that was tipped by Harrison Phillips before Kamu Grugier-Hill picked it off. The Vikings have worked mostly in nickel with Josh Metellus as a linebacker; they've confused Stroud with their coverages, while Jonathan Greenard bullied Cade Stover on his way to a sack against his former team that pushed Ka'imi Fairbairn's field goal attempt back to 54 yards.

Even that worked out well for the Vikings: Fairbairn, who'd made 17 of his previous 18 from 50-plus, pushed his kick wide right. — BEN GOESSLING

12:35 p.m.: Jones scores first home TD for Vikings

The Vikings are rolling early at home. They're up 14-0 late in the first quarter, after Sam Darnold hit Aaron Jones for his first receiving touchdown in a Vikings uniform.

The drive covered 56 yards in six plays, highlighted by a 28-yard pass from Darnold to Justin Jefferson on a dig route off play action. To finish the drive, coach Kevin O'Connell dialed up a concept that had Jefferson running a wheel route out of the backfield, clearing space for Jones on a crossing route as the Texans struggled to fight through traffic from a Johnny Mundt crossing route that functioned as a moving pick.

On the drive, Darnold completed four of five passes for 35 yards and the score. — BEN GOESSLING

12:10 p.m: Interception leads to Vikings TD

The Vikings deferred after winning the coin toss, stole a possession when Kamu Grugier-Hill intercepted Harrison Phillips' tip of C.J. Stroud's pass, avoided a turnover of their own and took a 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson.

Sam Darnold had to play off schedule several times on the Vikings' short touchdown drive, including one scramble where he shoveled a pass forward for Aaron Jones, and the ill-advised toss was ruled an incomplete pass instead of a fumble. On a third down from the Texans' 6, he escaped to his left and found Justin Jefferson for an easy touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud had thrown just five interceptions as a rookie, and hadn't thrown one yet this year. The Vikings were curious this week to see how the rookie quarterback would respond if he was put in a tough situation; they did everything they could to put him there early. — BEN GOESSLING

11:50 a.m.: Vikings-Texans connections

Perhaps you've heard that the Vikings and the Texans share many connections. Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs will be playing their first games in Minnesota as opponents Sunday. Former Vikings special teams standout Kris Boyd is also back in town with Houston. Three of last year's prominent Texans — Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard and Shaq Griffin — signed with the Vikings as free agents and are keying a defensive resurgence. Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill, another former Texan, may play a bigger role Sunday for the Vikings with the injury to Ivan Pace Jr. Second-year Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans interviewed for the Vikings job that eventually went to Kevin O'Connell.

11:35 a.m.: Pregame reading

Vikings-Texans kickoff is about a half hour away, which is enough time to catch up on two long reads about the Vikings written by the Minnesota Star Tribune this weekend.

Andrew Krammer talked to new Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, his mother and others from his hometown of Hiram, Ga., about what motivates him. And it's a lot more than playing his former team, the Texans.

Mark Craig had an exclusive interview with Kevin O'Connell, in which the famously nice Vikings coach talked about showing a different side of himself — a dark side, if you will.

11:15 a.m.: Vikings-Texans predictions

There are two games in the NFL this weekend featuring a pair of 2-0 teams, including this one between the Vikings and Texans, who didn't attract much preseason attention but have thrived with strong defenses. The Vikings, third in the NFL in points allowed through two games, will try to shut down an impressive Houston offense led by second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud; they'll look to protect Sam Darnold against a pass rush led by former Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter. Which team will come out of it 3-0?

• Ben Goessling's prediction
• Mark Craig's prediction

10:50 a.m.: Vikings-Texans inactives

It's only September, but the Vikings and Texans aren't exactly at full strength for Sunday's game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Minnesota will be without three notable players because of injuries: receiver Jordan Addison, linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. and edge rusher Dallas Turner. All three were ruled out on Friday after various levels of practice during the week.

Receiver Jalen Nailor, who had three grabs for 54 yards and a touchdown last week against the 49ers, draws another start. The Vikings could replace Pace, the starting inside linebacker, in multiple ways. Veteran Kamu Grugier-Hill could see first- and second-down work, while safety Josh Metellus is among the players trained to also align inside linebacker on passing downs.

Edge rusher Patrick Jones II, who has four sacks in two games, already has a sizeable role off the bench and could see more work with Turner, the first-round rookie, sidelined. The Vikings elevated edge rusher Bo Richter, the undrafted rookie out of Air Force, and tight end Robert Tonyan from the practice squad for the game.

Tonyan, the former Packers and Bears tight end, will be active for his first Vikings game after tight end Nick Muse was placed on injured reserve this week. Muse, the 2022 seventh-round pick, suffered a fractured hand against the 49ers.

The Houston Texans will be down to their No. 3 running back, Cam Akers, after losing Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce to injuries. Akers, a former Rams starter, played six games last season for the Vikings before suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

Vikings' inactives: Addison (ankle), Pace (quad/ankle), Turner (knee), DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, CB Dwight McGlothern and OT Walter Rouse

Texans' inactives: Mixon (ankle), Pierce (hamstring), CB Myles Bryant, LB Jamal Hill, DE Rashad Weaver and C/G Jarrett Patterson

— ANDREW KRAMMER

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