Minnesota Vikings Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats
Kenneth Gainwell scored another 1-yard rushing touchdown with 0:58 remaining in the first quarter during the Minnesota Vikings Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats showdown. The touchdown marked his second rushing score of the season and helped Pittsburgh gain early momentum in the matchup.
Pittsburgh ranks first in the NFL by turning first downs into new set of downs or touchdowns on 64% of their drives, as well as third overall for yards per drive.
| No. | Date | Winner | Score | Top Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 28, 2025 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Steelers 24-21 Vikings | DK Metcalf – 126 receiving yards, 1 TD; Justin Jefferson – 126 receiving yards |
| 2 | Dec 9, 2021 | Minnesota Vikings | Vikings 36-28 Steelers | Kirk Cousins – 216 pass yards, 2 TDs; Dalvin Cook – 205 total yards |
| 3 | Sep 17, 2017 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Steelers 26-9 Vikings | Ben Roethlisberger – 243 pass yards, 2 TDs; Le’Veon Bell – 87 rushing yards |
| 4 | Sep 29, 2013 | Minnesota Vikings | Vikings 34-27 Steelers | Matt Cassel – 248 pass yards, 2 TDs; Adrian Peterson – 140 rushing yards |
| 5 | Oct 25, 2009 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Steelers 27-17 Vikings | Ben Roethlisberger – 308 pass yards; Brett Favre – 334 pass yards |
| 6 | Dec 18, 2005 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Steelers 18-3 Vikings | Willie Parker – 124 rushing yards; Steelers defense dominated |
| 7 | Dec 2, 2001 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Steelers 21-16 Vikings | Kordell Stewart – 2 TDs; Daunte Culpepper – 247 pass yards |
| 8 | Sep 24, 1995 | Minnesota Vikings | Vikings 44-24 Steelers | Warren Moon – 3 TD passes; Vikings offense exploded |
| 9 | Dec 20, 1992 | Minnesota Vikings | Vikings 6-3 Steelers | Defensive battle with both teams under 250 total yards |
| 10 | Sep 21, 1986 | Minnesota Vikings | Vikings 31-7 Steelers | Tommy Kramer led Vikings offense in dominant win |
TJ Watt
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings will square off in an NFC North contest. Minnesota has won six out of the last seven meetings between these teams.
The Vikings boast an effective running game led by rookie back Dalvin Cook. Cook has averaged an impressive 4.8 yards per carry and scored four touchdowns so far this year.
Meanwhile, Steelers defense has allowed an average of 4.7 yards per rush and boasts the seventh-highest pass breakup rate in the NFL.
TJ Watt has been an invaluable member of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense this season. With eight sacks already to his credit and looking likely to eclipse DeMarcus Ware’s franchise record of 10 in one season by year’s end, Watt ranks second on his team in forced fumbles with two.
Watt has an immense advantage against the Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line. He can get to quarterback quickly and disrupt game flow; also contributing to making plays in passing game as well as being instrumental to Steelers’ success this season.
The Vikings’ offense has averaged an impressive 4.6 yards per drive, which ranks them sixth among NFL teams. Furthermore, their 5.3 yards per carry rushing attack is fourth best among all divisions.
Unfortunately, however, their red zone efficiency falls short compared to most teams – only 76% of their drives result in new downs or touchdowns being converted.
Minnesota is an intriguing team to keep an eye on during Week 9; their strong recent performance allows them to capitalize on a slumping Steelers squad and take advantage of any miscues they might make in Week 10.
TJ Hockenson has been an invaluable player for the Vikings this season. He was involved in all five defensive takeaways and leads their receiver corps with 17 catches for 247 yards; boasting an 16% catch rate on deep passes; making him a reliable target against Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary.
| Team | Player | Position | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | Sam Darnold | QB | 246 passing yards, 2 TDs |
| Minnesota Vikings | Justin Jefferson | WR | 7 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD |
| Minnesota Vikings | Jordan Addison | WR | 5 receptions, 68 yards |
| Minnesota Vikings | Aaron Jones | RB | 84 rushing yards, 1 TD |
| Minnesota Vikings | T.J. Hockenson | TE | 6 receptions, 59 yards |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Russell Wilson | QB | 221 passing yards, 1 TD |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | George Pickens | WR | 6 receptions, 91 yards |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Najee Harris | RB | 73 rushing yards |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Pat Freiermuth | TE | 5 receptions, 48 yards |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | T.J. Watt | LB | 2 sacks, 5 tackles |
TJ Hockenson
Hockenson has emerged as one of the premier tight ends in the league this season. He leads his team with 16 catches for 229 yards and five touchdowns while posting an outstanding 16.0 average yards per catch average.
Furthermore, Hockenson helped the Vikings score on 64% of their drives this year (second highest among teams), whereas Steelers defensive gave up an average of 36 yards per drive at third worst; their pass defense has allowed an astounding 73.7% completion rate on throws 10+ yards downfield which ranks highest in league play!
Hockenson led the Vikings with 95 receptions and 1,315 receiving yards that was good enough for 18th most by an NFL tight end in history. Additionally, Hockenson became the first tight end in NFL history with 10+ receptions, 125+ receiving yards, and touchdown catch all within one game!
Hockenson has seen nine out of 14 targets this week from the Vikings and caught seven for 107 yards from them, setting an active streak with multiple games with receiving touchdowns dating back to last season.
Hockenson has had success gaining open against Steelers defense as evidenced by seven catches out of 13 targets caught this time around and his longest active streak with multiple receiving touchdowns (tied with DK Metcalf).
The Minnesota Vikings rank second in scoring and fourth overall this year. With an outstanding +10 turnover differential – third only behind Indianapolis and Jacksonville – and only three rushing touchdowns allowed so far, they are poised for another winning season in 2014.
Last week, Jordan Mason ran for 116 of Minnesota’s 169 rushing yards on just 28 carries, averaging an average of 7.35 yards per carry and being on the field for 76% of Minnesota backfield carries.
Meanwhile, Steelers opponents had trouble stopping running backs this season – giving up 245 yards after catch while failing to prevent fumbles when chasing running back runs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will face another stern challenge this weekend against the Minnesota Vikings. After losing two out of their initial three games, they need to turn it around quickly in order to avoid a three-game slide into losing streaks. Since 1990, teams with 2-2 records have made playoff appearances 65.5% of time.
DK Metcalf
Metcalf experienced a dismal 2025 fantasy season, scoring single-digit points only six times despite amassing 59 catches and 850 yards; ranking as WR26 in PPR leagues. But there is reason to believe he can rebound next season, particularly if Steelers add competition for him in their passing game.
The Steelers recently made some important additions, such as Michael Pittman Jr via trade and rookie wide receivers Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen in the draft, which should provide Metcalf with more one-on-one matchups against coverage to maintain his high touchdown rate. Furthermore, running more plays this year gives Metcalf an increased opportunity to utilize his physicality.
In addition to their more conventional formations, the Steelers have utilized 13 Personnel on many plays this season. Last week alone they ran 13 Personnel on 69 snaps, 12 Personnel 24 snaps and 11 Personnel 17 snaps; making them one of the highest snapping teams in NFL when using these formations.
As a result, the Steelers have allowed opponents tight ends the most yards per target at 8.52 and second highest completion percentage on throws over 10 yards downfield (72.7%).
Furthermore, their defense has given up 25 touchdowns after catch and is fifth fastest time to throw (3.0 seconds).
The Vikings may not have excelled at creating turnovers this season, but they’ve done an admirable job of limiting big plays from opponents.
Fourth in the NFL with seven forced turnovers and sixth overall with 19 total, plus nineth best rushing defense that allows only 4.6 yards per carry – they rank fourth overall among NFL teams!
Even as a run-first team, the Vikings have not been very effective at entering the red zone this season. Of their 21 third down attempts only four of those turned into first downs; tied for fifth worst conversion rate among NFL teams on those plays. To maximize scoring points more efficiently.
TJ Herbig
Although they’ve been missing several key starters, the Vikings have managed to play well over the last two weeks despite playing without several key starters.
After defeating Green Bay 31-25 and moving into third place in the NFC North, they now face Pittsburgh Steelers who remain undefeated at home this week; thus providing an opportunity for them to win their inaugural road game of 2018.
Brian Flores has led the Minnesota Vikings to second place in both pressure rate and blitz percentage this season, allowing just 14.5% of dropbacks to result in sacks while forcing nine turnovers (seven of them fumble recoveries) as well as allowing just over three seconds per pass attempt, the lowest mark in the NFL.
The Minnesota Vikings offense is currently averaging just under four yards per rush attempt, making them fourth in the NFL. Red zone efficiency has been key in their success; 69% of red zone opportunities result in downs or touchdowns being scored from these opportunities.
This week, the Vikings face an extremely difficult Pittsburgh Steelers team tied with Cincinnati Bengals for best record in the league. Although only having scored one rushing touchdown so far this season, Pittsburgh Steelers lead all NFL teams at scoring points off turnovers; 17 total turnovers have led directly to 27 points scored so far!
Jordan Addison will return from a three-game suspension this week and could prove pivotal to Minnesota’s gameplan against Pittsburgh Steelers. Last season, Addison averaged 4.2 receptions for 53.6 yards per game and 10 touchdowns; his deep pass-catching abilities pose serious problems for Minnesota’s secondary.
Justin Jefferson has been a major factor in Minnesota’s offensive production throughout the season and should be treated as a serious threat by the Steelers’ defense in the Minnesota Vikings Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Match Player Stats matchup. Even though his numbers may not look as dominant compared to other top receivers, overlooking Jefferson would be a costly mistake for any defense facing the Vikings.
| Match Details | Stats / Summary |
|---|---|
| Date | September 28, 2025 |
| Venue | Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland |
| Final Score | Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21 Minnesota Vikings |
| Winner | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Quarter Scores | MIN: 3-3-0-15 = 21 |
| PIT: 7-7-7-3 = 24 | |
| Top Steelers Player | Kenneth Gainwell – 99 rushing yards, 2 TDs |
| Top Vikings Player | Justin Jefferson – 126 receiving yards |
| Key QB Stats | Aaron Rodgers – 200 passing yards, 1 TD |
| Vikings QB | Carson Wentz – 350 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| Biggest Play | Aaron Rodgers connected with DK Metcalf for an 80-yard touchdown |
| Team Total Yards | Vikings: 372 yards, Steelers: 313 yards |
| Turnovers | Vikings: 2 INTs, Steelers: 0 turnovers |
| Match Highlight | Vikings attempted a late comeback in the 4th quarter but Steelers held on for victory |
| Match Recap | Pittsburgh built a 21-6 lead through three quarters before Minnesota scored 15 points in the final quarter. The Steelers defense forced key turnovers while Kenneth Gainwell’s rushing performance proved decisive. (ESPN) |
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