Undefeated Minnesota 3 Point Underdogs Against Pittsburgh

NFL News - October 19th, 2009 - Written by Scott

The Minnesota Vikings will look to stay undefeated on Sunday as they travel to play at Pittsburgh. The Vikings, after losing a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter against Baltimore on Sunday, had to rally for the second week in a row to escape with a 33-31 win over the Ravens and bring Minnesota's record to 6-0. Pittsburgh beat Cleveland on Sunday 27-14. The Vikings have played well, especially at home this year, but how they will fare against Pittsburgh on the road could be a true gauge as to how good they really are. Their only road games this year were against three of the worst teams in the league; Cleveland, Detroit, and St. Louis.

The Vikings were questioned by doubters when they brought in aging quarterback Brett Favre this season. He seems to have silenced his critics as the he has led his team to a 6-0 record and an offense that is averaging 31.5 points a game. He has passed for 1,347 yards and 12 touchdowns this year. More importantly, he has done a great job of protecting the ball and has thrown only 2 interceptions this year. Their 9th ranked rushing attack is led by Adrian Peterson. Peterson has rushed for 624 yards and 7 touchdowns. He will need to have a strong outing against a very tough Steeler run defense. Sidney Price leads their group of receivers with 409 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Minnesota has played well defensively, despite their fourth quarter meltdown against Baltimore. They are holding their opponents to 20 points per game and allowing only 93 yards on the ground. The concern on the defensive side of the ball is their pass defense, which ranks 24th in the league. They are allowing 248 yards through the air and are facing a pass-happy team in Pittsburgh. However, they have forced 15 turnovers and recorded 21 sacks.

Pittsburgh brings an offensive unit that is averaging 403 yards per game, 5th best in the league. Their passing attack ranks 2nd and is led by Ben Roethlisberger. He has thrown for 1,887 yards and 10 touchdowns. Their running game is led by Rashard Mendenhall. He has 349 yards and 4 touchdowns. The receiving duo of Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward has been very productive. They have combined for 1,037 yards and 3 touchdowns. Heath Miller is their leader in touchdown receptions with 4. They will need to utilize their passing attack against the Vikings which rank 24th in pass defense.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense has done an outstanding job in limiting opponents ability to sustain long drives. They are giving up only 275 yards per game which ranks 3rd in the league. Pittsburgh has done a great job in stopping the run (only 74 yards per game), but will be tested by Minnesota's Peterson.

According to BetUS Sportsbook, Pittsburgh is favored by 3 against the Vikings on Sunday. The over/under is set at 45 1/2.

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