National Football League

By The Numbers: Steelers take on Vikings on Thursday Night Football on FOX

Published Dec. 8, 2021 7:31 p.m. ET

For the NFL teams with a fighting chance at playoff contention, every upcoming game is a must-win.

That's exactly what Thursday Night Football's (8:20 p.m. ET, FOX) contest represents for both the Minnesota Vikings (5-7) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5-1).

The Steelers narrowly defeated the Baltimore Ravens 20-19 in a thriller in Week 13, while the Vikings suffered a heartbreaking last-second 29-27 loss to the Detroit Lions. Both teams are currently on the bubble of the NFL's playoff picture, sitting near the bottom of a host of teams vying for postseason berths. Nonetheless, both remain in the hunt.

Here are the numbers that define the contest:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-5-1) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-7)
8:20 p.m. ET on FOX

Matchup: This will be the first matchup between the Steelers and Vikings since 2017, which the Steelers won 26-9. Kirk Cousins and Ben Roethlisberger have both thrown a TD pass in 26 straight games, tied for the longest active streak in the NFL. The Vikings have had 11 of their 12 games this season decided by one score (eight points or less), while the Steelers are 6-1-1 in one-score games this season. The Steelers are leading the NFL in sacks (37), while the Vikings are second with 36.

1,166: Najee Harris leads all rookies in a number of categories, including yards from scrimmage (1,166). He's also tops in touches (274) and rushing yards (779).

16.5 The Vikings will be tasked with a tall order as they try to ward off the league's leading sacker, T.J. Watt. Watt's 3.5 sacks in Week 13 were a career-high and tied him with James Harrison for the Steelers' franchise record.

382: The Vikes' defense is one of the worst in the league from a yardage basis. The unit has surrendered 382 yards per game, which is third-worst in the league.

9: Despite their pitfalls on defense, the Vikings take care of the pigskin. The team has just nine turnovers this season, the fewest in the league.

9-5: Big Ben generally wins more than he loses on Thursdays, sporting a 9-5 record on the day.

147: This is the total number of receiving yards Justin Jefferson has to amass to break Odell Beckham Jr.'s mark for the most receiving yards by a player in his first two seasons. Jefferson has 2,609 heading into the affair. He's also currently second in the NFL in receiving yards (1,209), while his 577 yards over the team's last four games are the most by any Vikings pass-catcher through four games in league history.

335: Speaking of history, Roethlisberger needs 335 yards to move into fifth-place all-time on the NFL's passing yards list. Philip Rivers currently has ownership of that slot, with 63,440 yards through the air.