Can the Vikings Handle Danielle Hunter?
The Minnesota Vikings welcome the Houston Texans to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. Both teams are 2-0, and Kevin O’Connell’s squad will be looking to exercise homefield advantage. Danielle Hunter returns for the first time as an opponent, and O’Connell will be looking to keep Sam Darnold away from him.
Can the Vikings Handle Danielle Hunter?
The four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher played 119 games for the Minnesota Vikings. After landing a nice new deal from Houston, the 30-year-old took his talents home. He racked up 87.5 career sacks for the Vikings and is off to a solid start with 1.5 for Houston through his first two games.
Minnesota leads the league in bringing down the opposing quarterback, and they certainly don’t want to see Darnold go down. Danielle Hunter will be looking to exact revenge against a franchise that allowed him to walk over the offseason. He won’t get the Skol chant or any cheers if he is successful in sacking the Vikings quarterback, but you can bet he’ll be happy just the same.
O’Connell will need to continue to orchestrate an offense that has confused the opposition two weeks in a row. Despite beating the San Francisco 49ers by just a single score, it was clear that the Vikings were in command throughout the contest.
On the flip side, Jonathan Greenard will be seeking an opportunity to make his mark against his former team. Greenard played the first four years of his career with the Texans. He appeared in 48 games and racked up 23 sacks. Greenard has often been seen as a player capable of so much more. Injuries and opportunities have held him back, but he’s with Minnesota to turn the page.
So far Greenard has one sack with his new employer. He’d love to add to that total against his old one, and keeping C.J. Stroud moving is something Brian Flores will look to do. The Vikings defensive coordinator has yet to go crazy with the pressure this season. He could opt for a new look on Sunday, and keeping the second-year signal caller off balance is a must.
There are plenty of storylines to follow in Week 3, but Minnesota and Houston will be a battle of the defensive lines.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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