After an impressive win over the 49ers on Sunday, things aren’t going to get any easier for the Vikings in Week 3. They’ll face another tough challenge against the Texans in what should be a solid battle of 2-0 teams. With CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Danielle Hunter and so many other talented players, this Houston team will be tough to beat.

The same can be said for the Vikings, who defeated the Giants in Week 1 and then came away from a multi-score victory over the mighty 49ers. Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores have this team playing at a very high level, with Sam Darnold operating efficiently on offense and a defense causing opponents all kinds of problems.

The Texans have one-score wins over the Colts and Bears so far this season, but they enter this game as two-point favorites visiting the Vikings. An AFC franchise that joined the NFL as an expansion team in 2002, they are still looking for their first-ever win over Minnesota (0-5 all-time).

Who will finish the job at US Bank Stadium this Sunday and go 3-0? We’ve made our picks.

I’m going to continue to lean toward O’Connell and Flores and the impressive roster the Vikings have assembled. Darnold’s solid performance feels sustainable to me, even against a Texans defense with a ton of talent at all three levels. I expect another big game from Justin Jefferson, who is the best wide receiver on the planet. Stroud and the Texans will score some points against Flores and this excellent Vikings defense, but they’ll also lose it once or twice and get held to field goals on a couple of threatening drives. The fact that this game is in Minneapolis makes all the difference here. The Vikes are off to a 3-0 start.

There will be plenty of revenge games between the Vikings and Texans on Sunday. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, Diggs and Hunter will be more successful in getting that revenge. Houston’s offense is legitimate, as Stroud has shown improvement in an incredible rookie year. The Vikings’ defense, which has impressed early, will be busy slowing down all of the Texans’ weapons, while the Vikings’ offense could struggle to protect Darnold.

No weapon on the Texans’ roster should strike more fear into the Vikings than Nico Collins, who leads the league in receiving yards and has caught highlight reels in two weeks. He’s the biggest reason I think Houston will face Minnesota in what I expect to be a shootout. Houston scored on six of nine possessions before running out the clock against Indy and then on four of five drives in the first half against the Bears before falling apart in the second half. I think the first six quarters are a better representation of who they are than the last two. That said, the Vikings are at home and Sam Darnold could cook up a full game with Justin Jefferson. Give me the Purple by a hair in a thriller.

The Texans looked like one of the most complete teams in the NFL with second-year QB C.J. Stroud. I think Sunday’s game will be close, but the Vikings’ early season momentum ends with a loss in Week 3. Minnesota will have no answer for Houston’s talented group of pass catchers in Stefon Diggs’ return to U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings proved that Week 1 was no fluke with an impressive win over the 49ers in Week 2. But beating two contenders in back-to-back weeks still seems like a tall order.

Here are predictions from last weekSeasonal records for our pickers:

Will: 2-0
Joe: 2-0
Nolan: 1-1
Jonathan: 1-1
Tony: 0-2