Regardless that the Minnesota Vikings scored two touchdowns within the ultimate eight minutes of the primary worldwide recreation of the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to fend off a possible game-tying drive for a 24-21 win. With that victory, Pittsburgh moved into sole possession of first place within the AFC North.
Minnesota had an opportunity to tie this recreation with 1:01 left within the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, quarterback Carson Wentz threw an incompletion on a 4th and 17 to provide the Steelers the win.
The Vikings misplaced this recreation due to self-inflicted errors. Minnesota was flagged eight instances for 82 yards. The Vikes additionally allowed seven sacks and turned the ball over twice.
After forcing a three-and-out on the primary drive of the sport, the Vikings’ offense prevented a vital mistake. A fumble by Minnesota working again Jordan Mason was picked up and returned for a landing. Nevertheless, Mason was seen touching the ball whereas on the bottom and out of bounds, negating the fumble and giving the Vikes the soccer again. That saved the sequence alive, permitting Minnesota to kick a subject aim for a 3-0 lead.
On their second drive of the day, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared like his outdated self. He accomplished six passes for 59 yards. That finally led to a one-yard landing run by working again Kenneth Gainwell for a 7-3 benefit heading into the second quarter.
A promising sequence for the Vikes resulted in disappointment. After getting the ball into Steelers territory, a false begin and a Pittsburgh sack knocked Minnesota out of subject aim vary, resulting in a punt.
The Steelers made the Vikings undergo on their very subsequent offensive play. Wideout DK Metcalf took a slant cross 80 yards for a landing to increase Pittsburgh’s result in 14-3. Metcalf completed the sport with 5 catches for 126 yards and a landing, which have been each season-highs for the previous Seattle Seahawk.
The primary incompletion of the day didn’t come till greater than halfway via the second quarter, but it surely was a expensive one. Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz threw an interception that Steelers security DeShon Elliott picked off. Previous to that, Wentz and Rodgers have been 20/20 for 238 passing yards mixed to start out the sport.
On a third and 9, Aaron Rodgers scrambled for 11 yards, however was stripped of the soccer. Fortunately for him, that fumble was recovered by Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones at Minnesota’s 21 yard line and carried for one more six yards to the 15. Nevertheless, a sack within the purple zone prompted the drive to stall out, so Pittsburgh needed to accept a subject aim that was blocked by Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, who scored two defensive touchdowns for Minnesota final weekend.
The Vikes acquired the ball again with 1:38 and made the Steelers pay. A 29-yard reception by Justin Jefferson acquired Minnesota into the purple zone, the place they related on a 28-yard subject aim to chop the result in 14-6 on the break. Jefferson caught ten passes for 126 yards within the recreation. Coming into this one, he had 12 receptions on the season for 200 yards.
Following two straight three-and-outs to open the third quarter, a handsome Vikings drive ended with a turnover. Carson Wentz threw his second interception of the day, which was grabbed by Steelers star defender T.J. Watt for a 12-yard return. That was Watt’s first INT since Week Seven of the 2023 season.
Pittsburgh took benefit of the great beginning subject place on Minnesota’s 35. Kenneth Gainwell ran for 27 complete yards on 4 straight speeding performs. His fourth carry of the drive was a four-yard landing that put the Steelers forward 21-6 late within the third quarter. This was Gainwell’s first profession recreation with two speeding touchdowns.
The Vikings have been unable to reply successfully. They allowed their sixth sack of the sport, which resulted in one other punt to mainly take this one to the fourth quarter. Minnesota struggled on third down at this time with simply 4 conversions on 14 makes an attempt.
A 12-yard punt return allowed the Steelers to as soon as once more begin a drive on Minnesota’s aspect of the sphere. They managed to choose up 31 yards and get into the purple zone. Nevertheless, the sequence got here to a halt on the 15 yard line. Pittsburgh elected to kick a brief subject aim that put them forward 24-6 with 11:18 to go within the recreation.
The Vikings fought again, although. An 18-yard completion to Justin Jefferson acquired the ball into Steelers territory. From there, Carson Wentz related with tight finish TJ Hockenson on two straight performs for 19 yards to get into the purple zone. Two downs later, Minnesota scored its first landing of the day on a 16-yard toe-tapping catch by working again Zavier Scott, his first profession TD. That rating made it 24-14 with 7:50 left within the fourth quarter after a profitable two-point conversion.
The Vikings’ protection made its largest play of the sport late within the fourth quarter. With 4:13 left on the clock, Minnesota held agency on a 4th and aim from the three yard line, which resulted in a turnover on downs and allowed the Vikes’ offense to take over within the shadow of their very own finish zone.
Minnesota made the a lot of the further possession. After getting out of their purple zone, Carson Wentz accomplished a deep cross to wideout Jordan Addison for 81 yards, who returned to the sphere after serving a three-game suspension to start out the season. That led to a 4th and aim on the two yard line. Wentz answered the decision with a TD cross to wideout Jalen Nailor, bringing the rating to 24-21 with 2:08 left within the recreation. Wentz had 350 passing yards on this contest, his first 300-yard recreation since October 2022.
With time waning, the Vikings needed to try an onside kick. That kick was recovered by the Steelers at Minnesota’s 49 yard line. Pittsburgh had an opportunity to place this recreation away on a third and 1, however Minnesota stuffed the speeding try play to power a fourth down. The Steelers then elected to punt, giving the Vikings the ball with 1:01 left within the recreation and an opportunity to tie issues up.
With the drive beginning at their very own 20, Minnesota made it to the 39 yard line earlier than a essential mistake by Carson Wentz. He was penalized for intentional grounding, which moved the ball again to the 23 and led to a 2nd and 26. This arrange a 4th and 17 two performs later with 14 ticks left on the clock. However Wentz threw an incompletion for a turnover on downs, securing the win for the Steelers.
With that loss, the Vikings fell to 2-2 on the season and third place within the NFC North.
*Writer’s observe: all data and statistics are tracked in actual time and are supplied by the sport’s broadcaster, NFL.com, and ESPN.com*
