Two powerhouse teams collide in Week 7 of the NFL SeasonOctober 21, 2009 by Marc Jerbs

On Sunday, the highly touted Minnesota Vikings faces the defending SuperBowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The Vikings have a perfect record of 6-0 which can be credited with their improved defense and the impact plays generated by veteran QB Brett Favre.

Since Favre's arrival, the Vikings have now a full arsenal of offense. They could impose their passing plays courtesy of QB Favre or deploy their dangerous running game courtesy of multi-talented RB Adrian Peterson. Heck, they may even mix it up to confuse their opponent each week. Many pundits have underrated the Vikings' overall defense and I think a 6-0 record against tough opponents should definitely silence their critics.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming of three consecutive win against the Chargers, Lions and Browns. QB Ben Roethlisberger still leads his team the same way and continues to spread the ball in their offensive set. It quite remarkable how he manages to focus on his game after a personal problem surfaced before the start of the season. He has handled it well and he did not let it bother him at all, now that's the character of a veteran leader and player. The Steelers are well-know for their tremendous defense led by LB James Harrison, S Troy Polamalu, DE Brett Keisel and LB Lawrence Timmons. But they also carry dangerous high-octane offensive players led by RB Willie Parker, RB Rashard Mendenhall, WR Hines Ward and WR Santonio Holmes.

On paper, both of these teams maybe on equal footing. But come Sunday, there could only be one winner. The Vikings may taste their first defeat of the season or the Steelers would suffer a setback in front of their rabid Raider Nation.

A casual may fan may have a hard time choosing who'll end up the winner on this intriguing match. But the sports handicappers have made a firm decision; they handpicked the Steelers as the slight favorite to beat the upstart Vikings.


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