Vikings vs Texans – Combined 11 Personnel Offense

The Vikings are flying high but the opposition doesn’t get any easier. The Vikings take on the Texans at US Bank Stadium, and will be looking to improve to a fantastic 3-0.

However, if you had to combine them to make the best starting 11 personnel offense (1 running back, 3 wide receivers, and 1 tight end) which players would make the team?

QB – CJ Stroud HOU

Every week I don’t pick Sam Darnold in these 11s, he has proven me wrong. However, CJ Stroud has done what Darnold and many before him have failed to do, hit the ground running as a day 1 starter in the league. It’s an outstanding accomplishment when we’ve seen Bryce Young, the number 1 overall pick from his draft, now benched by the Panthers and this year’s first-round quarterbacks have thrown for a combined 0 touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season.

RB – Aaron Jones MIN

Like Jones, Houston’s feature back Joe Mixon came into the league in 2017 and has ebbed and flowed over and under the 1000-yard mark as a runner. Both backs have nearly the same number of career receiving yards too. Where Jones is a cut above Mixon is that he boasts a career yards per carry of 5.1, whereas Mixon has 4.1 yards per carry (still very good). You could say that this decision was nearly a coin flip!

WR1 – Justin Jefferson MIN

I will say it every week; best in the league, best in the world. Justin Jefferson will always be the number 1 receiver on these lists. Nothing will change my mind and 97-yard touchdowns will only make me more adamant that Jefferson is the BEST.

WR2 – Stefon Diggs HOU

Diggs brought drama but if the rumour is that I’m still a massive Diggs fan, then there really is “truth to all rumours”. Diggs has big play ability, like Jefferson, if you need a big third-down catch, he will bring it in one-handed in double coverage. He is that good. He’s not quite got up to speed in Houston yet; hopefully that continues for another week, for the Vikings’ sake.

WR3 – Jordan Addison MIN

Addison, Tank Dell and Nico Collins all broke out last year, the latter also leading the league in receiving yards after the first two weeks of this season. Addison won’t play Sunday and that is a bigger miss for the Vikings than Dell or Collins would be for the Texans. Collins’ yards are impressive but he’s got other receivers to occupy defenders and get him open, Addison put the team on his back when we had no Jefferson to occupy defenders and I doubt any other rookie receiver could’ve filled that void!

TE – TJ Hockenson MIN

Respectfully to Dalton Schultz, if I’ve got Hockenson above Kittle last week then I’ve got him as the starter this week. Hurry up back Hock! I need you to prove me right!!

LT – Laremy Tunsil HOU

There are few left tackles better than Christian Darrisaw, but the Vikings have faced two of them in the opening three weeks of the season. Tunsil is elite, he took a hefty price to both acquire and resign for the Texans. That’s what a good tackle will cost you, and Vikings fans should be delighted we got Darrisaw locked down early to a new contract.

LG – Blake Brandel MIN

My obsession with the Blake Brandel hype train is real! So far, he has been a revelation at left guard and I’d argue the model the Vikings should follow with Michael Jurgens to develop as a replacement for Bradbury in a couple of years.

C – Garrett Bradbury MIN

I know I just said Minnesota’s future is separate to Garrett Bradbury’s, but right now he is our centre and I’d pick him over Houston’s Juice Scruggs (despite his really cool name). Bradbury improved dramatically against the 49ers, probably helped by not being banged up, and that’s the level he needs to stay at to stick around.

RG – Shaq Mason HOU

Mason may have arguably dropped off a little bit last season, but he’s been one of the league’s better guards throughout his career. His PFF grade has frequently been in the 80s – what the Vikings wouldn’t give to have that for years to come!

RT – Brian O’Neill MIN

O’Neill is criminally underrated. He’s one of the best tackles in the league and I will die on that hill. 0 penalties and 0 sacks allowed this year to date and long may it continue.

What do you think of my starting offense? Would you change anything?