This week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to improve to 3-1. While their team hasn’t been perfect, they’ve been good enough to win most of their games. However, this week might be their biggest test yet. They’re facing the Minnesota Vikings, another 2-1 team. They were one of the best teams in the league last year. They’re also coming off an impressive win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Former NFL tight end Delanie Walker is confident that they’ll carry that momentum over this week to beat the Steelers.
“I’m going to take the Vikings,” Walker said Thursday on the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast. “They looked good against the Bengals, don’t get me wrong. The Bengals didn’t have a starting quarterback. They was out there with Jake Browning… He didn’t look good. So, you can’t really say, ‘Carson Wentz looked good against the Bengals,’ because the Bengals was ass.
“But you got Jordan Addison coming back. Harrison Smith is coming back. I just feel like, right now, the Vikings, they’re going to be a tough team, just in these couple of weeks. I feel like they’re on a high horse. They got things going. They threw for some good amount of yards. Defense played great. This should be a no-brainer.”
In Week 3, the Vikings beat the Bengals 48-10. It was a dominant display from the Vikings, but like Walker says, it came against the Bengals’ backup quarterback. Much of their win was due to their defense forcing five turnovers. They forced two other fumbles, but the Bengals recovered them.
The Vikings will start backup quarterback Carson Wentz. He didn’t have a great performance last week, throwing for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He was fine, but he hasn’t been a reliable starter since 2021. Over the last four years, he’s only started 10 games.
That could make the game more competitive. However, as Walker mentions, the Vikings are getting reinforcements this week. Addison was their first-round pick a few years ago, and he’s an up-and-coming wide receiver. Smith returned last week, but in a more limited role. He’s a 14-year veteran and a mainstay in the Vikings’ secondary for years. His veteran presence should provide a boost.
Based on their respective performances, the Vikings look like a better team than the Steelers. Maybe they will blow Pittsburgh out this week. However, the Steelers don’t lack talent. They’ve been growing in certain areas as the season progresses. That could continue this week. The Vikings’ victory might not be as secure as Walker thinks it is.
