3 ways Steelers can avoid disaster against the Vikings in Week 14
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers must exploit a susceptible Vikings run defense
When it comes to running the football, Pittsburgh is near the bottom of the league this season. Despite making a conscious effort to improve on the ground by drafting Najee Harris and offensive lineman that fit Adrian Klemm’s system, the Steelers are currently 29th in the NFL in rushing yards with just 86.9 per contest.
Fortunately, there’s reason to believe that things could start to turn around this week. While they haven’t been great, the Steelers showed improvement against Baltimore last week as Dan Moore and backup guard John Leglue were able to create a few nice holes on the ground.
In addition, this is a matchup that could actually favor Pittsburgh’s offensive line for once, as the Vikings are very susceptible to the run. According to Team Rankings, the Vikings are 29th in the NFL in rushing yards surrendered per contest with 131.5.
Minnesota currently has five defensive linemen who are out for this contest — three of which are on injured/reserve. Their most notable losses are Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffin. This is a matchup that Matt Canada and the Steelers running game must find a way to exploit.