2021 NFL Week 14: Pittsburgh Steelers at Minnesota Vikings

After what might have been the most embarrassing loss of the Mike Zimmer era, the Minnesota Vikings get to come back on a short turn-around, as they’re set to host Thursday Night Football when they play their final AFC opponent of the year, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Minnesota defense handed the Detroit Lions their first victory of the season this past Sunday, falling 29-27 on a last-minute touchdown pass after trailing for much of the afternoon. The loss dropped the Vikings to 5-7 and well onto the outside of the NFC playoff chase.

Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is coming off of a big 20-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens when Baltimore couldn’t connect on a two-point conversion play after scoring a touchdown with time running out. The win pushed the Steelers to 6-5-1 and the #8 spot in the seven-team AFC playoff field.

The Vikings are likely going to be without Dalvin Cook (shoulder injury) and Adam Thielen (high ankle sprain) in this one, which will make the sledding that much tougher. Despite that, the folks at the DraftKings Sportsbook have installed the Vikings as a 3-point favorite in this one.

Kickoff for this one is slated for 7:20 PM Central time and will air on the NFL Network, along with KSTP-9 in the Twin Cities area. That means we get to listen to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, so keep your nausea medication of choice nearby.