NFL Week 9: Houston Texans vs. Minnesota Vikings

Young runners and great pass rushers headline a great duel between the AFC North Vikings and AFC South Texans!

Texans vs. Vikings Overview:
Both the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans enter NFL Week 9 with 3-4 records, but these underachieving teams have a lot to build on. Fans with Houston Texans tickets are watching their team ride a three-game winning streak, and the young team looks balanced on offense and defense. The Minnesota Vikings return to play after their bye week and want to prove that they are still in the thick of the playoff mix and are capable of winning the tough AFC North. Momentum and the rest of the season could rest on this NFL Week 9 match up.

Houston Texans Offense:
Thanks to facing some awful defenses in the past two weeks, the Houston Texans have been on fire, and the offense has sold plenty of Houston Texans tickets. WR Andre Johnson has proved why he is regarded as the best receiver in football as he has racked up a ton of catches and yardage. With defenses so focused on Andre Johnson, it is easy for QB Matt Schaub to find other targets in TE Owen Daniels and WR Kevin Walter. Rookie RB Steve Slaton is a workhorse back for the Houston Texans and can carry the load in either the running game or as a receiver out of the backfield.

Houston Texans Defense:
DE Mario Williams is the anchor up front for the Houston Texans. Mario Williams’ seven sacks are an impressive stat, but his constant pressure on the QB has a shockwave effect on the rest of the defense. MLB DeMeco Ryans is having a down year but is a Pro Bowl caliber player. The Houston Texans secondary has been a weakness all year, but the return of CB Dunta Robinson and the emergence of FS Eugene Wilson have strengthened the defense. Fans with Houston Texans tickets have seen OLB Zach Diles step up as the surprise player of the year for the Houston Texans defense.

Minnesota Vikings Offense:
The marquee player and the heart of the Minnesota Vikings offense is RB Adrian Peterson. Thanks to a great offensive line led by G Steve Hutchinson, Adrian Peterson pounds defenses with power and burns them with speed. The Minnesota Vikings receiving corps has gotten a huge boost from WRs Bernard Berrian and Bobby Wade. Veteran QB Gus Frerotte manages the game well and can make deep throws if needed. The Minnesota Vikings offense is at its best running the football but is far from one-dimensional.

Minnesota Vikings Defense:
The Minnesota Vikings have arguably the best defensive line in football with DTs Pat and Kevin Williams and DE Jarred Allen. Pat Williams is a load in the center of the defensive line and draws multiple blockers. Kevin Williams is a pure three-technique DT who has six sacks on the season and effectively disrupts the running game. DE Jarred Allen has five sacks, and his ability to draw double teams opens up the Williams brothers. OLB Chad Greenway is the leader of the Minnesota Vikings linebacking corps while veteran SS Darren Sharper commands the secondary.

Houston Texans Keys to Victory:
The Houston Texans zone-blocking running attack has struggled against heavy defensive fronts in the past, and the Minnesota Vikings front seven is huge. RB Steve Slaton will probably not get many carries in the middle but will be asked to make plays on stretches, screens, and tosses. With the Williams brothers clogging the middle, the Houston Texans will have to keep an eye on DE Jarred Allen. If Matt Schaub can be protected and given time, then WR Andre Johnson can rip the Minnesota Vikings defense to shreds, and the wide out must have a big day.

The Houston Texans defensive line is undersized besides Mario Williams and the direct run has inflicted serious damage in the past. The Houston Texans have to stop Adrian Peterson at all costs and a ton of blitzes should be called up to make up for the poor DT play. Taking away Adrian Peterson will force Gus Frerotte to throw which is by far the better threat to deal with than Adrian “All Day” Peterson in the backfield. The Houston Texans cannot let Bernard Berrian make big plays deep, and it will be up to Mario Williams to get enough pressure to force short throws and routes.

Minnesota Vikings Keys to Victory:
Adrian Peterson must live up to his “All Day” nickname if the Minnesota Vikings have any chance of winning. Direct runs up the middle against the small defensive tackles of the Houston Texans should be effective, and MLB DeMeco Ryans has struggled against one-on-one blockers. The run game will keep Mario Williams back a bit and will open up the passing game. Gus Frerotte must find Bernard Berrian matched up in single coverage against CBs DeMarcus Faggins or Jacques Reeves and get him the deep ball once or twice to keep the running lanes open.

The tandems of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams in the center of the front seven means that Steve Slaton will not get any traction in the middle, but the speedy runner is an expert at the outside run. Jarred Allen cannot focus on simply rushing the passer because the stretch play will come his way. The big three up front have to play their hearts out to not only stop the running game but to keep long throws to Andre Johnson minimal. With rookie LT Duane Brown across from him, Jarred Allen should be salivating at the opportunity to get after Matt Schaub.

Texans vs. Vikings Outlook:
After being the whipping boys of the NFL for four-straight games, fans with Houston Texans tickets are enjoying the best winning streak in franchise history. With a perfect balance of run and pass, the Houston Texans offense is on fire. In contrast, the Minnesota Vikings offense has struggled a bit with uneven quarterback play, but the running game is solid. The Minnesota Vikings defense is the strength of the team, and the run is pretty much useless against them.

The Houston Texans are the hot team right now, but they are about to hit a brick wall called the Minnesota Vikings defensive line. The huge impact of Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jarred Allen cannot be stated, and the smaller offensive line of the Houston Texans will probably be swallowed up. Fans with Houston Texans tickets can take pride in their football team and know there is a ton of wins scheduled in their future. Will the Houston Texans get outmuscled at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball? Will the Minnesota Vikings will run off with a close one? Will the Houston Texans come up with the “W”? Find out when you order premium Houston Texans tickets from OnlineTickets.com today!