The Vikings are 3-1 and getting big plays in all three phases. Now they head into a Week 5 home game against an inferior opponent with an injured starting quarterback and a shaky defense. But wait, there's more. Here's a trio of other things you should know in this edition of Three and Out.
1. Chris Johnson's struggles through the first three weeks of the season were something of a chicken-and-egg scenario.
The Titans running back rushed for only 45 yards on 33 carries in the first three games, a putrid average of 1.4 yards per attempt. Then on Sunday in Houston, against a vaunted Texans defense, Johnson blew up for 141 yards on 25 carries.
Go figure.
Johnson only carried the ball an average of 11 times through the first three games, in part because the Titans fell behind big early against New England (21-3 at halftime) and San Diego (14-0 in the first quarter) and opted for a pass-first attack against a vulnerable Detroit secondary.
But those big early deficits were also partially a byproduct of Tennessee's inability to get its ground game established.
So now what? The Vikings defense has held the top back of their first four opponents to an average of 52 rushing yards per game. Yet they know Johnson remains dangerous. Last weekend's eruption in Houston offered a timely reminder.
"He looked like the Chris Johnson we're all familiar with," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said.