HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- Don't let the 0-3 record fool you.
The Minnesota Vikings have playmakers on defense.
Harrison Smith has the second-most interceptions (24) among safeties since the Vikings drafted him out of Notre Dame in 2012. His 24th came last week against the Tennessee Titans, allowing Smith to pass free agent Earl Thomas in the top three among safety interceptions in that span.
Locating Smith will be critical for Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has thrown an interception in each of the last two games.
Watson has never played against Smith, except for the Pro Bowl, so it's a challenge he's looking forward to.
"He's a guy that's very, very smart," Watson said. "He's in a lot of disguises and you've got to make sure you have eyes on him all of the time. He makes a lot of plays for those and has been doing it for years."
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Also worth monitoring is defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, a familiar foe to Watson and the Texans from his time with the Jaguars.
Ngakoue has a strip sack in each of the last two games. And not only has Watson turned it over twice, but the Texans offense as a whole has allowed him to be sacked 13 times through three weeks.
"Ngakoue is just a guy that's very athletic, very productive," Watson said during Wednesday's press availability. "He was very productive down in Jacksonville. He's doing the same things that he was doing down in Jacksonville, but at another level with Minnesota.
"He's a factor, so you've got to make sure you pay attention to him and try to get as much attention toward him as possible because he can wreck a game for sure."
Both the Vikings and Texans at 0-3 are looking for their first win of the season.
Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
