3 reasons why the Vikings will beat the Steelers in Week 14
By Adam Carlson
Big Ben isn’t what he used to be
One mention of the name Ben Roethlisberger makes football fans think of a strong-armed quarterback who can throw a great deep ball and can shrug off tacklers while commanding his team from behind center.
Ben isn’t that guy anymore. The Steelers are averaging 6.4 yards per pass attempt this season (27th) but have made nine plays of 40 or more yards in the passing game (fifth). This means it will all come down to tackling and limiting yards after the catch. And Pittsburgh loves testing their opponents through the air since they have passed the ball 466 times, which is the fifth-most in the league.
Roethlisberger has revealed his plans to retire after this season, but Pittsburgh’s attempts to run the ball aren’t so great either. They have only rushed for seven touchdowns on the year (tied for second) and picked up 57 first downs on the ground (29th) but have yet to lose a fumble this year.
Through 11 games, Ben has thrown 16 touchdowns and six interceptions to go with 2,758 yards. Expect Pittsburgh to continue throwing the ball a lot in the climate-controlled U.S. Bank Stadium while testing the Minnesota defense.