What Minnesota Vikings Fans Need to Know Ahead of Preseason Week 1 vs. the Houston Texans
Jul 29, 2025; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) takes part in drills during the teams training camp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings are stepping back onto the field for a real football game this weekend for the first time since their Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams that ended their 2024 season.
Of course, this time it is only a preseason game that won’t have any impact on the actual standings, but it is a good opportunity for fans to see the team in action again as well as a chance for players to showcase why they should remain on the 53-man roster when the cutdown date arrives.
Prior to this weekend’s game, here is a look at what Minnesota Vikings fans need to know ahead of the Week 1 preseason matchup with the Houston Texans.
How to Watch the Minnesota Vikings This Weekend
Jul 29, 2025; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on during the teams training camp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.
The Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings will kick off their preseason Week 1 matchup at 3 p.m. Central on Saturday, August 9 inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
If you are not headed to the game, it will be broadcast on FOX in the Twin Cities area as well as NFL Network, and it can also be streamed via NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket via YouTubeTV.
Texans vs. Vikings History
Sep 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs (1) exchange jerseys after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings have met six times during the regular season, and the Vikings are yet to lose to their AFC counterparts, going 6-0 in those games. The most recent of those matchups came just this past season when the Vikings beat the Texans 34-7 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Of course, this preseason matchup will not count in the head-to-head standings, but the Vikings are hoping to come away with a dominant victory once again.
Texans Spotlight Player: WR Jayden Higgins
Jul 23, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Houston Texans turned their 2024 second-round pick into one of the better defensive players in the entire class by selecting Kamari Lassiter. This year, the Texans are hoping the 34th overall pick, WR Jayden Higgins, can turn into one of the best offensive rookies in the NFL.
Higgins spent the last two years of his collegiate career playing at Iowa State after beginning his career with Eastern Kentucky. During the past two seasons, he was one of the most explosive playmakers in the Big 12, recording 140 receptions for 2166 yards and 15 touchdowns in 26 games.
Now, the speedy Higgins is listed as the Texans’ WR3 behind Nico Collins and Christian Kirk, and the Texans are hoping he can take over the role left behind by Tank Dell, who is likely to miss the entire season after a serious knee injury suffered last season. The Vikings’ secondary will have a tough task slowing down some of the speedy Texans playmakers, and Higgins looks to be a big part of that.
Vikings Spotlight Player: QB J.J. McCarthy
Jul 28, 2025; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) takes part in drills during the teams training camp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
How could it be anyone else? The Vikings are set to ring in a new era at the quarterback position, and this Saturday very well could be the only chance for fans to see J.J. McCarthy take in-game snaps before the regular season.
Of course, it is unlikely that McCarthy will play all that long, especially considering McCarthy’s season-ending meniscus tear last season came during the preseason opener. McCarthy, who Minnesota traded up to No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft to select, has yet to take a regular season snap in the pros in part because of that injury.
For anyone still with fears of the unknown and turning to a quarterback who is unproven at the NFL level, a strong performance from McCarthy would go a long way towards calming those concerns.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and The Football Database helped with this article.
Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
