The Minnesota Vikings will belatedly confirm Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach this week, according to an ESPN report.

An announcement has been delayed to this point due to the O'Connell's involvement in the postseason with his current team.

But after the Rams' playoff run ended with victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at their SoFi Stadium home on Sunday, the Vikings have been cleared to name their man.

O'Connell will be introduced on Thursday, following the Rams' team meetings and exit interviews on Tuesday and victory parade in LA on Wednesday.

He joined the Rams in 2020 from Washington and helped lead Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. to the championship this year.

Although Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was said to be among the interviewees who missed out on the Vikings job, O'Connell's departure means Sean McVay will have to bring in a key member of coaching staff for the second time in two years; Brandon Staley, Morris' predecessor as DC, went to the Los Angeles Chargers last year.

Rams tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Wes Phillips will also have a role on O'Connell's staff, the ESPN report said.

The next Rams OC will not immediately get the opportunity to work with Beckham, regardless of any agreement with the team as he enters free agency.

Beckham, a midseason arrival from the Cleveland Browns, sustained a knee injury in the first half of the Super Bowl, which is now said to be his second ACL tear in the same knee in two seasons.

The wide receiver, who has said he would be willing to accept a pay cut to stay with the Rams, again faces a lengthy rehabilitation process.

The make-up of the rest of the team is far from certain, too, with superstar defensive tackle Aaron Donald delaying any decision on his future after finally winning a ring.

McVay, the youngest ever Super Bowl-winning head coach, has been similarly non-committal.

The Minnesota Vikings will appoint the Cleveland Browns' vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager, according to widespread reports.

Minnesota's pursuit of a new GM appears to be nearing its conclusion, with ESPN and NFL Network reporting that Adofo-Mensah - who the franchise confirmed was one of the names being interviewed - has been chosen to take on the role at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Adofo-Mensah will replace Rick Spielman, who was fired two weeks ago after 16 years in the role along with head coach Mike Zimmer after the Vikings ended their season with an 8-9 record, their second straight losing campaign.

The Vikings have been unable to kick on since reaching the NFC Championship Game in the 2017 season. They have not topped the NFC North since then, despite spending big to bring in Kirk Cousins at quarterback.

Other candidates interviewed included Monti Ossenfort from the Tennessee Titans, John Spytek from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Catherine Raiche and Brandon Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, Eliot Wolf from the New England Patriots, Glenn Cook from the Cleveland Browns and Ryan Poles, who has since taken the GM role at the Chicago Bears.

Adofo-Mensah spent the last two seasons at the Browns working under GM Andrew Berry after seven seasons as the San Francisco 49ers' manager and then director of football research and development.

The 40-year-old will be responsible for finding the successor to Zimmer, with 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who Adofo-Mensah worked with in San Francisco, among those who have already been interviewed for the role.

The Minnesota Vikings have fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.

Zimmer and Spielman have been dismissed from their roles after the Vikings missed the playoffs for the second straight year and the third time in four seasons.

The Vikings went 8-9 in 2021, ultimately finishing a game out of the NFC Wild Card places.

That proved too familiar of a tale for the Vikings' hierarchy to handle. Since Zimmer was hired in 2013, they have won at least seven games in all but one year but have only won two playoff games in that time.

Minnesota reached the NFC Championship game in the 2017 season but missed out on playing a Super Bowl at their home stadium as they were blown out by eventual champions the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was hoped the decision to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed contract in 2018 would get them over that final hurdle, yet a trip to the NFC Divisional Round in the 2019 campaign is the best the Vikings have managed with him under center.

Cousins' decision not to receive a coronavirus vaccine proved critical in the Vikings missing the playoffs, as he returned a positive test ahead of their Week 17 encounter with the Green Bay Packers, forcing him to miss their penultimate game in which they were eliminated from postseason contention.

Entering the final year of his contract with $35million guaranteed, Cousins' future will be the most pressing issue for the new Vikings regime.

Spielman, who had served as vice president of player personnel for the Vikings since 2006 and became general manager in 2012, departs with a 132-123-2 record as an executive with the franchise.

Zimmer, meanwhile, leaves with a 72-56-1 record in the regular season and, should he wish to coach in 2022, will likely be a popular candidate for defensive coordinator jobs.

 

The Green Bay Packers have the number one seed in the NFC, and their MVP quarterback appears to be getting healthier.

Green Bay clinched the top seed in their conference with a 37-10 rout over the Kirk Cousins-less Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Back in Week 11, the Packers lost a 34-31 shootout to the Vikings, with quarterback Rodgers revealing afterward that he was battling a severe toe injury.

He has continued to play through the problem and was once again in imperious form as the Packers ripped off their fifth straight win and improved to 14-3.

Rodgers completed 29 of his 38 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in a performance that helped ensure the NFC playoffs will go through Lambeau Field.

And further encouragement that this could be Green Bay's year came in Rodgers' post-game comments about the health of his toe.

"This is a first game that my toe got through the game without any issues," Rodgers said. "No pre-game painkiller shot. I'm feeling good. I'm happy about it.

"There was definitely a time a few weeks ago when I started to project out and think if we can get the one seed, it could be two-plus weeks of rest.

"I'm going to play next week, and I expect Davante to play and our guys to play. So, we're looking forward to finishing off the season on a high note and then getting the bye."

Though they have nothing to play for, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur indicated he would play his starters for at least some of their regular-season finale at the Detroit Lions.

But, with the bye week secured, Rodgers will have the chance to rest his seemingly improving toe ahead of another push for the second Super Bowl title of his stunning career.

The Green Bay Packers locked in the top seeding in the NFC after a 37-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on a chilly evening at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams spearheaded the Packers victory, connecting 11 times for 136 yards including one touchdown as Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to win 13 games in three consecutive seasons.

Adams brought up 118 yards in the first half which was his most yards in a half since 2019, as the Packers raced to a 20-3 half-time lead.

Rodgers threw 29 of 38 passes for 288 yards with two touchdowns, while running back AJ Dillon had 14 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings struggled without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins who entered COVID-19 protocols late in the week, managing only 70 total yards in the first half which was their fewest in a first half since 2019.

Back-up Vikings QB Sean Mannion, making only his third NFL start in his seventh season, threw his first career touchdown to KJ Osborn in a rare bright spot for the visitors. Mannion completed 22 of 36 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions.

The win means the Packers have secured a first-round bye in the postseason and home ground advantage from the divisional playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers locked in the top seeding in the NFC after a 37-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on a chilly evening at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams spearheaded the Packers victory, connecting 11 times for 136 yards including one touchdown as Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to win 13 games in three consecutive seasons.

Adams brought up 118 yards in the first half which was his most yards in a half since 2019, as the Packers raced to a 20-3 half-time lead.

Rodgers threw 29 of 38 passes for 288 yards with two touchdowns, while running back AJ Dillon had 14 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings struggled without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins who entered COVID-19 protocols late in the week, managing only 70 total yards in the first half which was their fewest in a first half since 2019.

Back-up Vikings QB Sean Mannion, making only his third NFL start in his seventh season, threw his first career touchdown to KJ Osborn in a rare bright spot for the visitors. Mannion completed 22 of 36 passes for 189 yards with no interceptions.

The win means the Packers have secured a first-round bye in the postseason and home ground advantage from the divisional playoffs.

Matthew Stafford inspired the Los Angeles Rams to move one step closer to securing their second straight NFC West title with a 20-19 win over the slumping Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The defeat for the Ravens, who were without quarterback Lamar Jackson for the third straight game, leaves them perilously close to slipping out of the Wild Card hunt after their fifth consecutive loss.

Justin Tucker's field goal had put the Ravens up 19-14 with 4:33 left but Stafford launched a game-winning 75-yard drive to overhaul the deficit.

Stafford completed a 15-yard pass to Tyler Higbee and a 24-yarder to Cooper Kupp, before finding Odell Beckham Jr twice in a row, with the latter being the decisive TD.

The Rams QB finished with 26 of 35 passes for two touchdowns but also two interceptions, including a Chuck Clark first-quarter pick six, as well as a sack.

Clark's TD was the Ravens' only for the game, as QB Tyler Huntley completed 20 of 32 passes for 197 yards.

Rams running back Sony Michel had 19 carries for 74 yards including a TD along with wide receiver Kupp with six receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Over a month ago the Ravens had been 8-3 and looking good for the AFC top seed but now they are scrapping for a playoffs spot after a series of narrow defeats and desperate for Jackson's return.

Carlson field goal gives Raiders edge in Wild Card race

The Las Vegas Raiders claimed a crucial last-gasp win from Daniel Carlson's 33-yard field goal in the AFC Wild Card race with a 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz cleared protocols for the game but completed 16 of 27 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, while running back Jonathan Taylor had one TD from 20 carries for 108 yards, with the defeat marking the first this season when he has rushed more than 100 yards.

The Raiders pipped the Colts in the final quarter, trailing 17-13 at the final break with QB Derek Carr hitting Hunter Renfrow on a fourth-down play for a TD, before Michael Badgley squared the game with a 41-yard field goal, only for Carlson to win it with one from 33 yards as time expired. The Raiders improve to 9-7, pulling ahead of the 9-7 Colts in the AFC Wild Card race.

 

Bengals clinch maiden AFC North title

The Cincinnati Bengals clinched their first-ever AFC North title as Evan McPherson kicked a late 20-yard field goal to secure a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase set an NFL rookie record and franchise record with 266 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches, while QB Joe Burrow threw 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

Burrow got the better of opposing QB Patrick Mahomes who completed 26 of 35 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs, who have already won the AFC West title, moved to 11-5.

 

Brady cool after Brown meltdown

Tom Brady was cool in a crisis after Antonio Brown stormed off the field as the NFC South-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied to win 28-24 over the New York Jets.

Brady completed 34 of 50 attempts for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including leading them on a 93-yard drive in the final minutes to clinch the victory.

The game was marred after Brown's meltdown, storming off the field in the third quarter with the Bucs 24-10 down, with head coach Bruce Arians confirming "he is no longer a Buc" after the game.

Matthew Stafford inspired the Los Angeles Rams to move one step closer to securing their second straight NFC West title with a 20-19 win over the slumping Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The defeat for the Ravens, who were without quarterback Lamar Jackson for the third straight game, leaves them perilously close to slipping out of the Wild Card hunt after their fifth consecutive loss.

Justin Tucker's field goal had put the Ravens up 19-14 with 4:33 left but Stafford launched a game-winning 75-yard drive to overhaul the deficit.

Stafford completed a 15-yard pass to Tyler Higbee and a 24-yarder to Cooper Kupp, before finding Odell Beckham Jr twice in a row, with the latter being the decisive TD.

The Rams QB finished with 26 of 35 passes for two touchdowns but also two interceptions, including a Chuck Clark first-quarter pick six, as well as a sack.

Clark's TD was the Ravens' only for the game, as QB Tyler Huntley completed 20 of 32 passes for 197 yards.

Rams running back Sony Michel had 19 carries for 74 yards including a TD along with wide receiver Kupp with six receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown.

Over a month ago the Ravens had been 8-3 and looking good for the AFC top seed but now they are scrapping for a playoffs spot after a series of narrow defeats and desperate for Jackson's return.

Carlson field goal gives Raiders edge in Wild Card race

The Las Vegas Raiders claimed a crucial last-gasp win from Daniel Carlson's 33-yard field goal in the AFC Wild Card race with a 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz cleared protocols for the game but completed 16 of 27 passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, while running back Jonathan Taylor had one TD from 20 carries for 108 yards, with the defeat marking the first this season when he has rushed more than 100 yards.

The Raiders pipped the Colts in the final quarter, trailing 17-13 at the final break with QB Derek Carr hitting Hunter Renfrow on a fourth-down play for a TD, before Michael Badgley squared the game with a 41-yard field goal, only for Carlson to win it with one from 33 yards as time expired. The Raiders improve to 9-7, pulling ahead of the 9-7 Colts in the AFC Wild Card race.

 

Bengals clinch maiden AFC North title

The Cincinnati Bengals clinched their first-ever AFC North title as Evan McPherson kicked a late 20-yard field goal to secure a 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase set an NFL rookie record and franchise record with 266 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches, while QB Joe Burrow threw 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

Burrow got the better of opposing QB Patrick Mahomes who completed 26 of 35 passes for 259 yards and two touchdowns as the Chiefs, who have already won the AFC West title, moved to 11-5.

 

Brady cool after Brown meltdown

Tom Brady was cool in a crisis after Antonio Brown stormed off the field as the NFC South-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers rallied to win 28-24 over the New York Jets.

Brady completed 34 of 50 attempts for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including leading them on a 93-yard drive in the final minutes to clinch the victory.

The game was marred after Brown's meltdown, storming off the field in the third quarter with the Bucs 24-10 down, with head coach Bruce Arians confirming "he is no longer a Buc" after the game.

The Minnesota Vikings will be without quarterback Kirk Cousins for Sunday's crucial contest with the Green Bay Packers.

Cousins has tested positive for coronavirus and has been placed on the Vikings' reserve/COVID-19 list.

As Cousins is unvaccinated, he will have to isolate for 10 days in line with the NFL's protocols, meaning he could also be a doubt for the Week 18 clash with the Chicago Bears on January 9.

Minnesota (7-8) are second behind the Packers (12-3) in the NFC North and head into Week 17 as the eighth seed in the NFC, one spot off the playoffs.

However, backup QB Sean Mannion previously tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, meaning rookie Kellen Mond looks set to start against Green Bay, with Kyle Sloter the alternative.

Cousins has passed for 3,971 yards and 30 touchdowns this season and looked on course to at least match the respective totals from 2020 (4,265 and 35).

He ranks eighth out of the league's quarterbacks for passing yards this season and tied seventh for touchdowns, while only five players to have made 10 appearances or more have less interceptions than Cousins' seven.

The Vikings are looking to win three straight games against the Packers for the second time this century (also a three-game streak from 2008 to 2009), while a third consecutive victory in Green Bay for the first time since 1993 is also in the offing, though they lost to the Los Angeles Rams in their last outing.

Minnesota are the only team this season without a double-digit loss, and have an average margin of defeat of 4.4 points, the smallest in the NFL.

However, Green Bay have won their last two games by a combined total of three points.

The Packers are 5-1 this season in games decided by a field goal or less – those five wins are tied with the Tennessee Titans for the most in the NFL this season. 

The Buffalo Bills took control of the AFC East standings as they held firm to defeat the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Bill Belichick's men, winners in the reverse game this month, had hoped to avenge a 38-9 defeat in Week 16 in Foxborough last season – that 29-point margin is the second largest the Patriots have suffered in their coach's storied 21 years in charge.

Yet despite threatening a fightback in the third quarter, the Patriots succumbed 33-21 Josh Allen inspired Buffalo to a valuable win.

Allen completed 30 of 47 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns. In so doing, he joined Peyton Manning as the only other player with multiple three-passing-touchdown games at New England since Belichick's arrival in 2000.

The Bills quarterback was instrumental in a 13-play, 75-yard drive in the fourth quarter that helped to quash hopes of a New England comeback after they had pulled to within five points on the scoreboard.

"The offensive line must have liked their Christmas presents because they played great today. I'm so happy for them and our team to go on the road and get this win," Allen said.

Buffalo (9-6) will see out the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets, while the Patriots (also 9-6) face the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Miami Dolphins.

Bittersweet for Odell Beckham Jr as Jefferson breaks record in Rams win

The Los Angeles Rams moved clear at the top of the NFC West as they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-23 at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Odell Beckham Jr's touchdown helped the Rams move to 11-4 and edge clear of the Arizona Cardinals, who lost 22-16 to the Indianapolis Colts, although they and Los Angeles are still guaranteed a playoff spot.

His Griddy celebration was especially pointed as, with just under 13 minutes left in the third quarter, OBJ saw his record for most receiving yards in a player's first two NFL seasons surpassed by Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Bucs end 14-year wait for division title

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take their Super Bowl defence into the postseason after securing the NFC South title on Sunday.

The Bucs' 32-6 victory over the Carolina Panthers sealed their first division title since 2007 as they advance into the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 2002.

Tom Brady threw for 232 yards and one touchdown as they made it back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time.

Dalvin Cook has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings sit second in NFC North after improving to 7-7 with a 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Monday, but have suffered a major blow ahead of their clash with Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.

Mike Zimmer's side face the 10-4 Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, however, they will now likely have to turn to Alexander Mattison to lead their rushing attack in a pivotal game.

Cook's absence would rob the Vikings, who currently occupy the third and final NFC Wild Card spot with three games left, of a back who leads the NFC, and ranks third in the NFL, with 1,067 rushing yards.

Cook, who has 226 carries and six scores on the season, joins numerous Pro Bowlers who have been added to the COVID-19 list this week, including the likes of Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.

Mattison, who was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, is the favourite to replace Cook as the starter, though Kene Nwangwu and Wayne Gallman are on the active roster and could see a share of the workload.

Mattison has three starts this season, in which he has totalled 26 carries for 112 yards, 25 carries for 113 yards, and 22 carries for 90 yards.

The Vikings have also activated wide receiver Dan Chisena from the COVID-19 list, while they have signed running back A.J. Rose Jr. to the practice squad.

The NFL's updated COVID-19 protocols have made it easier for players to return from the reserve/COVID-19 list, provided they are vaccinated, asymptomatic, and test negative twice within one day.

Players who are not vaccinated are subject to a mandatory 10-day quarantine, which leaves uncertainty whether Cook will be back in time to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 17.

Chicago Bears pass-rusher Robert Quinn hit out at the "crazy" officiating in the NFL after a close defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears went down 17-9 on Monday as the Vikings kept themselves in the NFC playoff picture.

It was an eighth defeat in nine games for Chicago, while the Vikings have now had 11 consecutive games decided by eight points or fewer, one shy of the NFL record.

Chicago coach Matt Nagy was flagged by the referee in between the first and second quarters after Bears safety Deon Bush was penalised for hitting Tyler Conklin's head on an incomplete pass.

This had been deemed as "forcible contact" against Conklin, much to Nagy's chagrin, with the coach venting his frustration towards referee Scott Novak.

"I saw what happened," Nagy told reporters. "Our guys are fighting their asses off to get off the field, and I saw what happened. So, I explained my opinion on it. And I don't regret it."

Novak claimed Nagy's complaints "crossed the line", but Quinn, earlier named a Pro Bowler for a third time, defended his coach.

"Some of these calls are starting to get a little crazy," he told reporters.

"These refs seem like they're controlling the game a little too much. So, when a play is clean and they're throwing a flag for something that they thought they could change a game [with] just by one flag.

"Let guys play ball. If this was a couple of years ago, half of this stuff wouldn't even be called. But now they got so many of these stupid rules, they dang near in a ref's hands [and] could change the game in any given moment.

"I think they need to go check the refs they hire and not our coach."

The Vikings, too, had complaints, after linebacker Eric Kendricks was ejected in the final quarter for hitting the head of Chicago quarterback Justin Fields.

"I didn't get a good explanation, really. They came over late and said they thought he had an elbow to a head," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. 

"I thought I saw it pretty cleanly, and I thought the quarterback slid and kept his head up, and Eric was going down and kind of raised his head to try to avoid it, and I thought they bumped heads."

Minnesota are second in the NFC North, behind the Green Bay Packers (11-3), while Chicago (4-10) sit third.

The Minnesota Vikings did not look like a playoff team Monday, but they managed to remain in the NFC postseason picture with a 17-9 defeat of the slumping Chicago Bears. 

Kirk Cousins threw a pair of touchdown passes for Minnesota but finished with just 87 yards passing, the lowest total in his 118 career NFL starts. 

Ugly as it was at times, that proved to be enough for the Vikings (7-7) as the Bears, who lost for the eighth time in nine games, could not find a way into the end zone until the closing seconds. 

Though Chicago out-gained Minnesota 370 to 193, the Bears (4-10) fumbled the ball away three times and came up empty on four of their five red-zone opportunities. 

Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields was more efficient than Cousins, completing 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards, but he repeatedly proved unable to complete the big pass when Chicago needed it. 

The Bears made it past the Vikings' 25-yard line on three consecutive second-half drives but saw each of them end with a failed fourth-down conversion. They finally tacked on a Fields-to-Jesper Horsted touchdown on the final play of the game, but by then it was too late. 

That otherwise-meaningless touchdown also emphasised the tightrope the Vikings have walked all year, as it was their 11th consecutive game decided by eight points or fewer, one shy of the NFL record.

The victory kept the Vikings in the NFC wild-card picture but they face an uphill climb, with games against the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers the next two weeks before a home rematch with the Bears to close the regular season. 

Mike Tomlin hinted at changes after the Pittsburgh Steelers failed to recover from an awful first half in their 36-28 Thursday Night Football defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Steelers fell to 6-6-1 in Minneapolis, just unable to rally after going scoreless through two quarters and trailing 29-0 in the third.

There had been 1,616 previous occasions of a team falling behind by 29 points or more in the NFL, but Pittsburgh became the first of those to then have the chance to win the game.

Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers back down the field on the final drive but ran out of time at the Vikings' 12-yard line.

Head coach Tomlin appeared to initiate the improvement with some ruthless calls, benching receiver Chase Claypool and inside linebacker Joe Schobert.

And he warned more changes could follow after the Vikings were allowed 176 rushing yards in the first half – a season high for any team before halftime.

Only twice since 1991 – 182 for the Oakland Raiders in 2013 and 179 for the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 – have the Steelers given up more rushing yards in the first two quarters of a game.

Criticism was not reserved for the defensive line alone, though, as Roethlisberger was sacked four times before halftime.

"We were 'JV' again tonight, and I'm talking up front on both sides," Tomlin said. "We've got to be better than we were. We'll turn over every stone to do that.

"We've got a long week coming up between this and our next one. We'll make good use of that time and assess not only what we're doing, but who we're doing it with."

He added: "I'd be remiss – I'd be doing that group a disservice – if I didn't look at all options."

Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who leads the league with 16.0 sacks, sustained a groin injury in the second quarter, while Alex Highsmith went down with a knee complaint.

But the Steelers afforded themselves no excuses, as defensive end Cameron Heyward said: "The first half was horrendous.

"Guys weren't filling. We weren't getting off blocks. We weren't tackling. You name it – we did it wrong."

Dalvin Cook, just back from a torn labrum and dislocated shoulder, was the man to profit, with 205 rushing yards – one shy of his career high – and two touchdowns.

Both his scores came in that first half – only the second time Cook has had two rushing TDs heading into halftime – along with 153 yards. This was just Cook's second 100-yard first half.

"I'm just happy to be back, happy we got the win," he said. "My coaches know once I tell them I'm good, I'm good.

"There ain't no holding me back, just turn me loose. I just appreciate them for believing in me and just trusting in who I am."

The Minnesota Vikings have survived an almighty Pittsburgh Steelers comeback after blowing a 29-point lead to win 36-28 and improve to a 6-7 record in Thursday Night Football.

The Vikings had led 29-0 midway through the third quarter before Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led a remarkable fightback that included three final quarter touchdowns but they left it too late to slump to a 6-6-1 record with only one win in their past five games.

Trailing 36-28 with three seconds on the clock, Roethlisberger threw for Pat Freiermuth in the end-zone but the tight end could not hold the pass under pressure from Vikings safety Harrison Smith despite getting two hands to the ball.

The Vikings had jumped the Steelers with three first-half touchdowns, as Kirk Cousins found Justin Jefferson wide open, before running back Dalvin Cook crossed twice in the second period.

Back-to-back Greg Joseph field goals extended their lead to 29 points in the third quarter before the Steelers responded with Roethlisberger finding Najee Harris in the corner for a TD.

Rookie Harris scored his sixth rushing touchdown of the season early in the last quarter, before Roethlisberger found James Washington down the middle to make it 29-20 with 12 minutes to play.

Minnesota immediately responded with KJ Osborn scoring in a 62-yard play from Cousins, who made 14 of 31 attempts for 216 and two touchdowns, only for Freiermuth to narrow the gap again, with Diontae Johnson completing the two-point conversion to make it a one-play game.

Pittsburgh almost completed a remarkable comeback as Freiermuth could not grasp the last-ditch throw from Roethlisberger who completed 28 of 40 attempts for 308 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.

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