THE MINNESOTA VIKINGS cut it close again, surrendering a 29-0 third-quarter lead but hanging on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-28 on Thursday to open week 14 of the NFL season.
Pittsburgh had a chance to secure an epic comeback on the final play, but Vikings defender Harrison Smith denied Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth a catch in the end zone and Minnesota escaped.
“That’s been us all year – living and dying by that last drive,” said Dalvin Cook, who rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings.
The Vikings out-gained Pittsburgh 300 yards to 66 in the first half as they built a 23-0 halftime lead.
Minnesota were up 29-0 before Pittsburgh got on the board with a three-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Najee Harris.
The Steelers scored three touchdowns in five minutes, including a rushing TD from Harris and Roethlisberger’s 30-yard connection to James Washington, to cut the deficit to 29-20.
Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins connected with K.J. Osborn on a 62-yard scoring pass to push the lead to 36-20.
But after Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted Cousins for a second time, Roethlisberger hit Freiermuth with a 15-yard scoring pass to trim the deficit to eight points with less than five minutes remaining.
Pittsburgh had the ball with 2:16 remaining and 96 yards to go for a touchdown and two-point conversion to tie.
Roethlisberger piloted a drive that included a 38-yard pass to Chase Claypool, but on his final attempt with seconds remaining, Smith knocked the ball free from Freiermuth and the Vikings won.
20 Cousins threw for 216 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions — both in the second half.
Roethlisberger finished with 308 yards and three TDs and an interception.
Cook, playing just 11 days after suffering a dislocated left shoulder, said he felt “relief” at coming away with a win.
But he said the Vikings needed to find a way to keep the accelerator down.
All but one of their games has been decided by eight points or less.
“We keep asking ourselves why we keep putting ourselves in this position,” Cook said. “We’re a better team than these games have been telling.”
The Vikings were coming off a last-second loss to the previously winless Detroit Lions on Sunday — a defeat that dropped them close to falling out of contention for an NFC Wild Card berth.
The Vikings now have 10 days to regroup before they visit the Chicago Bears on 20 December.
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