Texans/Vikings pre-game tidbits

Gary Kubiak and Matt Schaub will have their hands full with the Vikings defense Monday night                           (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

The preseason gets about as interesting as it can get when the Texans and the Brett Favre-led Vikings square off on Monday Night Football at Reliant Stadium. 

Here's a few trivia items you can impress your friends with at your tailgate party:

Preseason records:  Vikings 2-0;  Texans 1-1

Vikings impressive so far:

• The Vikings are the only team that has not given up a sack or turned the ball over through the first two preseason games.
• The Vikings defense currently ranks #1 overall and #1 against the pass in preseason
• The Vikings have allowed only 16 points in two preseason games, which is the lowest among all teams.

Vikings - Texans Connections:

• Nine Vikings hail from or played college ball in Texas:  CB Cedric Griffin (San Antonio/UT); DE Otis Grigsby (Converse); DT Tremaine Johnson (Galena Park); LS Cullen Loeffler (Ingram/UT); RB Adrian Peterson (Palestine); DT Fred Evans (Texas State); DT Pat Williams (Texas A&M); DE Brian Robison (Splendora/UT); and CB Marcus Walker (Waco).
• Vikings CB Derrick Roberson spent the better part of the 2007-08 seasons on the Texans practice squad
• Vikings T Bryant McKinnie was a college teammate of Andre Johnson and Chris Myers at Miami.
• Texans CB Fred Bennett and Vikings WR Sidney Rice were college teammates at South Carolina
• Texans DE Antonio Smith and Vikings DT Kevin Williams were teammates at Oklahoma State.

Worth watching:

• Vikings 1st round draft pick WR/KR Percy Harvin saw his first NFL action last week.  He could be a difference maker in the Vikings return game.  Second round draft pick Phil Loadholt (OU) will start at right tackle.
• Texans DT Deljuan Robinson will have his hands full with All Pro Guard Steve Hutchinson.
• Vikings C John Sullivan is a second year player replacing perennial Pro Bowler Matt Birk who left for Baltimore
• Texans C Chris Myers and G Chester Pitts seeing their first action of the season against the "Williams Wall"

All Day: 

• In just 30 career games, Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has already rushed for more yards (3,101) than all but three running backs in NFL history in their first two seasons.  Those three:  Eric Dickerson, Edgerrin James, and Earl Campbell.

Clutch on 3rd Down:

• Peterson's backup, RB Chester Taylor, led all NFL running backs with 25 receptions on 3rd down last season.

Sacking Up:

• Since entering the NFL in 2004, Vikings DE Jared Allen has recorded 57.5 sacks which is 1st in the NFL for that period.  Allen was tied for 5th in the NFL in sacks last season with 14.5, behind DeMarcus Ware, Joey Porter, John Abraham, and James Harrison.

On Average:

• The Vikings are 24-24 in three seasons under head coach Brad Childress but the win totals have progressed from 6 in 2006, to 8 in 2007, to 10 in 2008.