Rising star quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the Houston Texans into Minnesota while the Los Angeles Chargers visit Pittsburgh on Sunday in two NFL showdowns of undefeated clubs.
The third week of the campaign sees a Texans squad off to its first 2-0 start since 2016 against a Vikings team that leads the NFL with 11 quarterback sacks.
“This is one of those matchups you’re looking forward to because we know that they have good receivers at every single spot,” said Vikings cornerback Camryn Bynum said.
Stroud, 22, has completed 47-of-68 passes for 494 yards and three touchdowns, his top target being Nico Collins, who leads the NFL with 252 yards on 14 catches.
“Unbelievable talent. C.J. is off to such a great start in his career and has already become such a focal point of how you want to prepare defensively,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.
“The thing that stands out the most is his arm talent… he seems incredibly prepared. It’s pretty remarkable for such a young player.”
Texans star rusher Joe Mixon is questionable with an ankle injury.
“We’ll take it day by day with Joe,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Still holding out hope that he can make it.”
If not, his likely replacement is ex-Viking Cam Akers.
“I’ve got history there,” Akers said. “But it’s just another game.”
Minnesota’s Sam Darnold has completed 36 of 50 passes for 476 yards and four touchdowns and ranks third in the NFL with 9.5 yards per pass attempt, with Justin Jefferson leads the Vikings with eight catches for 192 yards.
The Texans rank second the NFL sacks with nine over two games.
“The different pressures they bring, they’re able to disguise it pretty well,” Darnold said. “Opportunity this week is going to be huge for us.”
‘Smash-mouth football’
At Pittsburgh, the Steelers have dominated with defensive skill, ranking fifth overall while topping the NFL with a plus-five turnover ratio.
“We just got to go out there and keep building, keep getting better day by day,” Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said. “Every day we’ve got to come out here and grind and gel with each other even more because we know the games get tougher as they go.”
Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins leads NFL rushers with 27 carries for 266 yards and two touchdowns.
“He got everything. He got vision, the speed, the burst — he’s just an all-around good back,” Queen said. Being able to go out there and shut him down gives me bragging rights and helps this team win.
“It’s going to be smash-mouth football. It’s going to be your man versus our man. I can’t wait.”
New coach Jim Harbaugh had the Chargers spend the week in Charlotte practising at a college between two East Coast games rather than return to LA.
“You definitely get to focus on football and I think that’s what Harbs wants us to do, just be totally engulfed in football — and we have been,” Chargers tight end Hayden Hurst said.
He’s ready for Pittsburgh’s formidable defensive pressure.
“Creative defense, fast defense and physical defense,” Hurst said. “Be physical, that’s what they want to do. That’s their brand.”
Other games involving 2-0 teams find defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City (2-0) at Atlanta (1-1), Seattle (2-0) hosting Miami (1-1), Denver (0-2) at Tampa Bay (2-0), New Orleans (2-0) hosting Philadelphia (1-1) and Jacksonville (0-2) at Buffalo (2-0) on Monday night.
Other contests this week find the New York Giants at Cleveland, Chicago at Indianapolis, Green Bay at Tennessee, Carolina at Las Vegas, Detroit at Arizona, Baltimore at Dallas, San Francisco at the Los Angeles Rams and Washington at Cincinnati on Monday night.
