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Minnesota 36, Pittsburgh 28
This was an unusual game. Minnesota completely dominated early on. When I checked in (online, because I admittedly did not actually watch the game or anything), the Vikings were up, 26-0. They managed to score a field goal to make it 29-0, and it was getting late in the third quarter by that point. So, you might be forgiven if you would assume that the game was a lopsided affair, a blowout.
In fact, the Steelers came roaring back, scoring a touchdown late in the third quarter, and then scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and having a chance to really pull off a miracle towards the end. They were deep in Minnesota territory, and it seemed like Roethlisberger got the ball to a man in the end zone. Ultimately, the defenders were able to prevent the touchdown which would have given the Steelers a chance at a two-point conversion to tie the game.
Think about that. At one point, the hometown Vikings were up, 29-0. And Pittsburgh very nearly were able to tie the game up, only just missing right at the end. It took until that final play of the game for the Vikings to finally secure the win. Had the Steelers succeeded and then had a successful two-point conversion to tie it, it would have gone to overtime, with Pittsburgh having clear momentum, and a chance to complete what would have been the greatest comeback by a road team in NFL history, and the second greatest comeback in NFL history behind “The Comeback” by the Bills against the Oilers. Remember, Houston was up by 32 points in that one, and they then lost that lead. That is only a field goal worth of points more than Minnesota enjoyed at the peak of their dominance in this game. So in all seriousness, this was very nearly an epic comeback for the ages, one that likely would be remembered for many years.
Of course, it should be noted that comebacks like this these days are a bit different than they were when the Bills came back from down 32, because back then, there still was no two-point conversion. So if you score four touchdowns, and you manage to get, say, a couple of two-point conversions, that is 30 points right there. Still difficult, but not quite like what those Bills faced in Buffalo back in 1993. They scored five unanswered touchdowns after being down 35-3, and were only leading by three points after all of that. By contrast, the Patriots, in their memorable Super Bowl comeback against the Falcons, were down by 25 points. They were still down by 16 fairly late in the fourth quarter, but two touchdown drives, both capped by successful two-point conversions, allowed them to tie it. They only scored nine points on two scoring drives prior to that, which was hardly enough to qualify as a very serious comeback effort to that point. Those successful two-point conversions can really make a difference like that.
In any case, I digress…
The two teams were almost even in time of possession, with the Vikings holding an advantage of less than a minute. They also had the same number of first downs, with each team picking up 22. And Minnesota actually committed more turnovers, with two to just one for Pittsburgh. The hometown Vikings did earn a lot more yards on offense, with 458, to 375 for the Steelers. That was not bad production for Pittsburgh, but obviously the Vikings offense looked fantastic, and produced a lot of yards.
Pittsburgh did mount a serious comeback attempt. However, Minnesota was able to hold on to preserve the win, even if it was not nearly as assured as it likely seemed to be earlier, when they held that commanding 29-0 lead. Ultimately, however, a win is a win, and the Vikings certainly needed this one. It improves their overall record to 6-7. And while they remain on the outside looking in for the NFC playoff picture, it keeps their hopes very much alive, as they are nipping on the heels of the other teams for that final playoff spot.
As for the Steelers, this loss drops them to 6-6-1 on the year. It also means that they have compiled a 1-3-1 record in their last five games, and this loss compromised their playoff chances. They of course still are alive, and have not been eliminated. But they certainly did not make things easier on themselves with this loss.
My pick: Accurate
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