NFL: Steelers at Vikings
Posted on August 21, 2008 | 10:31 AM ET Filed under:The Pittsburgh Steelers and second-year head coach Mike Tomlin visit the Twin Cities to take on Tomlin's former employer, the Minnesota Vikings, in the third exhibition game of this summer for both teams Saturday night at the Metrodome. CBS will provide live television coverage of this game beginning at 8 pm Eastern Saturday.
OddsMaker.com is listing the Steelers as three-point road chalk for Saturday's game, with a total of 37.
Both of these teams have split their first two games this exhibition season. Pittsburgh, 10-6 and a wild-card loser last year, won at Philadelphia 16-10 back on Aug. 8, then lost at Buffalo last Thursday 24-21.
Meanwhile, Minnesota, 8-8 last year and a game out of the playoffs, lost at home to Seattle 34-17 back on Aug. 8, then won at Baltimore last Saturday 23-15.
Steelers backup QB Charlie Batch broke his collarbone in that win over the Eagles, and is out of action for the foreseeable future. Pittsburgh signed veteran Byron Leftwich to take that spot, and he may see considerable field time over the next couple of weeks. Rookie Dennis Dixon is the third man on the Steelers QB depth chart.
In the loss to Buffalo last week Dixon and Leftwich combined to go 11/26 passing for 120 yards. And Dixon ran for a 47-yard touchdown late in the game. Starter Ben Roethlisberger played well into the second quarter, going 9/11/142 with a TD and an INT.
Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson hurt his knee in last Saturday's game vs. Baltimore, and although he is expected to be OK, his status for Saturday's game is uncertain.
Veteran Gus Frerotte backs up Jackson on the Minnesota QB depth chart, followed by Brooks Bollinger and rookie John David Booty.
In the win at Baltimore, the threesome of Frerotte, Bollinger and Booty combined to go 12/27/141 passing, with a TD and an INT.
These two teams last met during the preseason of 2006, when the Vikes won in Pittsburgh 17-10. The last time these two teams played a game that meant something was in December of 2005, when the Steelers beat Minnesota 18-6.
For what it's worth, these teams will not meet this regular season.
OddsMaker.com is listing Pittsburgh as a +100 favorite to win the AFC North this season, +800 to win the AFC, and +1,500 to win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa in February. The Steelers have also been tagged with a season wins over/under of nine (over +100, under -130).
OddsMaker is also listing Minnesota as a +100 favorite to win the NFC North this season, +500 to win the NFC, and +1,500 to win the Super Bowl. The Vikes have also been pegged with a season O/U of nine (over -140, under +110).
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