Vikings at Steelers: Highlights, score and recap

The Pittsburgh Steelers came away with a 26-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Heinz Field. What did we learn from this interconference tilt?

The big question heading into Sunday’s interconference meeting between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers was the availability of quarterback Sam Bradford. Mike Zimmer’s starting signal-caller was dealing with a knee injury that made his status shaky for this contest at Heinz Field. After warming up, it was decided that Case Keenum would get the nod for the Purple Gang.

It was a rough start for Zimmer’s squad. In the first half, the Vikings managed only 67 total yards and five first downs. The ground attack managed 25 yards on 12 attempts. By game’s end, the Purple Gang’s attack managed only 237 yards on 60 plays and made only one visit to the end zone.

Meanwhile, the Steelers got the necessary big plays from both sides of the football. And the team’s workhorse running back was back in form.

Three Stars

1. Ben Roethlisberger

Two of Big Ben’s first four passes attempts against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday went for touchdowns. The veteran signal-caller connected on 23 of his 35 throws for 243 yards and scoring strikes to Martavis Bryant and rookie Juju Smith-Schuster.

2. Le’Veon Bell

In Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, the two-time Pro Bowler totaled only 10 carries for 32 yards and caught just three passes in a 21-18 win. With 7:50 remaining in the first quarter against the Vikings, Bell had already racked up more rushing attempts and yards (11 for 38 yards) than he did the previous Sunday. He finished the afternoon with 27 carries for 87 yards and also pulled down four passes.

3. Everson Griffen

The Minnesota defense played respectable football and the standout end had a nice afternoon. Griffen finished with four tackles and two sacks of Ben Roethlisberger.

More fansided.com: NFL power rankings, Week 1: Eagles rise, Colts plummet

Odds

Mike Tomlin’s club was a 5.5-point favorite over the visiting Vikings. As we got closer to game time, that’s a number that began to change a bit.

Next Week

The Minnesota Vikings return to the Twin Cities to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dirk Koetter’s club comes off a season-opening 29-7 rout of the Chicago Bears. And speaking of John Fox’s squad, it happens to be the next opponent for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they travel to Soldier Field next Sunday.