Playing his former team, Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard didn’t need extra motivation Sunday. The Texans, though, gave it to him anyway.
They assigned rookie tight end Cade Stover to block him on the first play from scrimmage.
Greenard drew a holding penalty on Stover, negating a 17-yard pass play, and C.J. Stroud threw an interception on the next play. It was all downhill from there for the Texans and all sunshine and roses for the Vikings and Greenard.
“First play of the game, they tried block me with a rook,” Greenard said, via Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. “They tried to block me with a rookie tight end. It’s disrespectful. I ain’t never seen that.”
Greenard sacked Stroud three times, giving him four sacks for the season. He had 12.5 for the Texans last season and 23 in his four seasons in Houston after they made him a third-round pick.
Greenard signed with the Vikings as a free agent, and the Texans replaced him with former Viking Danielle Hunter in free agency. The Vikings won the swap Sunday, with Hunter totaling no sacks against his former team and 1.5 for the season.
“One-hundred percent, it was definitely weird,” Greenard said, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC. “Between those white lines, it’s straight smoke. . . . I’m glad I’m here in Minnesota because obviously they respect me.”
