4 keys to victory for the Vikings at the Texans in Week 4
By Dean Jones
Limit Deshaun Watson’s influence
There is not much anybody can do about Deshaun Watson being productive, but if the Minnesota Vikings can keep this to a minimum it is going to do their chances of success the world of good.
Watson has been a revelation since entering the NFL. His dual-threat ability is matched by a rocket for an arm, which makes him extremely difficult to plan for.
Losing his top wide receiver option has been a noticeable blow for the signal-caller. The Texans inexplicably traded away All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins this offseason to the Arizona Cardinals for minimal compensation that piled even more pressure on beleaguered head coach/general manager Bill O’Brien.
Despite Hopkins not being around, this does not detract from what a threat Watson is if the Vikings let him get some momentum. Their problems in the secondary have been there for all to see during the season so far and the former first-round pick will look to take advantage of this early and often.
Another element of Watson’s impact that shouldn’t be overlooked is his ability to run out of the backfield. The Clemson product has no trouble gaining valuable yardage when a play doesn’t develop as he would like and this is something that the likes of safety Harrison Smith and All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks need to monitor closely.