THE BEST TEAM IN THE NFL

VIKINGS 34

TEXANS 7

Week 5 of 2016. The Vikings blow out the Texans at US Bank Stadium to go to 5-0. I walk out of the building that day, dreaming of home field advantage and maybe a Super Bowl. Then the Vikings lost 8 of their last 11 games and missed the playoffs.

Today, the Vikings blew out the Texans at US Bank Stadium to go to 3-0. And yeah, leaving that stadium I was thinking into the future about what could be in a few months.

Why not? Dare to dream, because while this too may not last, at this exact moment the Minnesota Vikings are the BEST team in the NFL. They are. No other undefeated team has their quality of wins, the latest an absolute dismantling of a very good Houston Texans team 34-7 on Sunday.

It wasn't even that close.

The Texans' 1st official play was an interception by Kamu Grugier-Hill, starting for the injured Ivan Pace. A short drive later, Sam Darnold found Justin Jefferson for the first of his 4 touchdowns throws on the day. 

Grugier-Hill should have had 2 turnovers in his box score after the next series. He ripped the ball from a Texan receiver, picked up by Stephon Gilmore. But even though it was clearly a good catch and fumble, replay reversed it. A measure of justice arrived when the drive ended in a long missed field goal.

It didn't take long for the Vikings to score again, this time in a nice crossing route throw to Aaron Jones. A total domination of a quarter, 14-0.

The 2nd quarter wasn't much of anything. By far the most amusing part of the quarter was when the Texans moved as close as the Vikings 25, then had THREE consecutive false start penalties. A 4th straight flag was declined, but Houston had to punt. Of course, you NEVER let a loud crowd know the noise is working like that.

The Vikings cashed in on their first drive after halftime. You had to know it was the Vikings day when Darnold fumbled the ball, yet it bounced out to Brandon Powell, who turned the mess into an 8-yard game. Then, a little DPI on a deep shot to Johnny Mundt set the Vikings up for a short TD dart to Jalen Nailor. 

Brian Flores's fierce defense continued to bombard CJ Stroud. Houston did finally score, but even that took a really great Stroud deep shot to set up. About the only other highlight for the Texans was a throwback pass from Stefon Diggs to Cam Akers. 

Diggs did get some boos on his catches. As for Akers, starting for Joe Mixon, he did little. The Vikings shut down the run and rattled Stroud all day.

As for the other noteworthy returning player, Danielle Hunter, he had a quiet day but loomed large on a play that momentarily held the Vikings season in the balance. He got called for roughing Darnold, and after limping a few steps, Sam sat on the turf for a couple of minutes. He was helped to the sideline, and into the blue tent. Oh god, was this career resurrection story over already? Were we staring at Nick Mullens again?

Nope! Darnold missed one play. You never heard such an ovation for a guy just walking onto the field.

A few plays later, he even threw a gorgeous 30-yard TD to Nailor...wiped out due to a supposed OPI replay did not show. We did get 3 out of the drive. 

Whatever miniscule hope Houston still had was over on the next series, when Stroud was picked off by Cam Bynum. Aaron Jones (who had his 1st 100-yard game in purple) ripped off a long run to the 1, and then Darnold found Mundt for TD #4. 

The scoring concluded with Will Reichard booming a 58-yard field goal. The defense didn't even concede the late garbage TD when Davis Mills was quarterbacking. This defense makes EVERYTHING hard. 

This feels real. The Vikings are playing complete football against good teams and winning big.

Even without Addison and Hockenson, they scored 34. Even without Pace and Dallas Turner, they gave up 7.

This team could get better, perhaps much better. And if they do, yeah, dream of what could come.