Minnesota Vikings VS Pittsburgh Steelers Spread, Preview and Prediction

Minnesota Vikings VS Pittsburgh Steelers Spread, Preview and Prediction

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The Minnesota Vikings travel to Heinz field to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a matchup of Super Bowl contenders. They got off to a great start beating the Saints 29-19 in a game they seemed never in danger of losing. Quarterback Sam Bradford looked like a top tier quarterback, spreading the ball around to all of his receivers including two touchdown passes to rising star Stephon Diggs. The first game of the post Adrian Peterson era got off to a fantastic start with rookie running back Dalvin Cook rushing for 127 yards, breaking the Vikings record for most rushing yards in a rookie debut held by Peterson since 2007. The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans are hoping that 2017 is the year they finally get back to the Super Bowl after losing in the Wild Card, Divisional and AFC Championship games in the last three seasons. The Steelers won their opener on the road at Cleveland 21-18 in a game that left more people impressed with how well the Browns played than people who were worried about the Steelers. Steeler fans hope Le’veon Bell’s struggles were just a factor of rust due to missing the entire preseason. If QB Ben Roethlisburger, WR Antonio Brown and Bell all stay healthy the Steelers will almost certainly contend.

Biggest Key for The Vikings

For the Minnesota Vikings to leave Heinz Field a winner on Sunday they have to hope the play of their revamped offensive line has another good outing like they did against the Vikings. The 2016 Vikings looked like contenders until the harsh realization hit that their line was awful. They could’t run block against anyone and Bradford took a beating every time he dropped back. They answered by doing something rarely seen by an NFL contender from one year to the next. They changed all five starters knowing the key to their season was Cook having a great year and protecting Bradford. In game 1 it worked better than the team imagined. On top of Cook’s rushing record Bradford threw for 346 and 3 touchdowns and was sacked only once. Playing in the madhouse that will be Heinz Field for the Steelers home opener the offensive line must open holes for Cook, keep Bradford upright and keep the penalties to a minimum. If they can do that the Vikings will have a chance to get the win.

Biggest Key for The Steelers

For the Steelers to be successful on Sunday their defense has to show up against a dangerous offense. When people think of the Steelers they automatically think of a great defenses from the past. The current Steelers defense isn’t as good as any of those championship teams and they haven’t been for a few years now. The Steelers have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL since Le’veon Bell’s breakout 2014 season. Pittsburgh can score against anybody and outscore any team in the League. The reason they can’t make it back to the mountaintop has been the defense’s inability to slow down good offenses. Their rushing defense has been mediocre and their pass defense has been atrocious the last three seasons. The Steelers hope three new starters in their secondary including former pro bowler Joe Haden will change that. They have also added linebacker TJ Watt, who after one game looks like he can be another star in the family along with brother JJ. The revamped Steelers defense looked good vs Cleveland but the Vikings will be their real first test.

Final Analysis and Prediction

The Steelers and the crowd should be fired up for the 2017 home opener. The Vikings bring something that always travels well against hostile crowds and that’s their incredible defense. Look for the Vikings offense to play conservative at first and try to establish a run game. The Vikings defense will keep the Steeler offense in check long enough for the Vikings offense to get comfortable and make it a tight game in the 4th quarter. This game will be decided by a field goal therefore we are taking The Vikings and the points. THE PICK: VIKINGS +5