PITTSBURGH _ The Steelers defense rose up again, this time stifling a Minnesota Vikings offense without its starting quarterback in a 26-9 victory in their home opener at Heinz Field that began with an emotional tribute to the late Dan Rooney.
Chris Boswell kicked four field goals, and Ben Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to Martavis Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Roethlisberger connected on 23 of 35 passes for 243 yards.
The Steelers are 2-0 with a game at 0-2 Chicago next Sunday. The Vikings are 1-1.
There were no complaints this time that Le'Veon Bell did not touch the ball enough. He carried 27 times for 87 yards and caught four passes for four yards. In the opener at Cleveland, he had just 10 carries for 32 yards.
One week after he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Minnesota quarterback Sam Bradford was scratched with soreness in a knee that twice has had surgeries to repair an ACL tear.
Without Bradford, the Vikings' offense just was not the same with Case Keenum at the controls. The Steelers' defense also had something to do with that, pressuring Keenum often and holding down rookie Dalvin Cook, who topped 100 yards in his first game.
Boswell scored the only points of the fourth quarter when he kicked two field goals, from 37 and 42 yards, after the Steelers held a 20-9 third-quarter lead.
T.J. Watt left the game in the second quarter and did not return, and Alejandro Villanueva left in the third quarter with heat-related issues.
Minnesota gifted the Steelers three points to open the second half. They failed on a fake punt when Tyler Matakevich broke up the punter's pass attempt. Then, after Boswell missed a 51-yard field goal, the Vikings were penalized five yards. On his second try, Boswell made it from 46.
The Steelers led 17-3.
The Vikings scored their first touchdown on the next series. They covered 82 yards on six plays. C.J. Ham scored from the one, and it was 17-9 after Kai Forbath missed the extra point kick.
Back came the Steelers. After Roethlisberger threw a 51-yard pass to Bryant to the 11, though, they could not find the end zone, and Boswell kicked a 29-yard field goal for a 20-9 advantage.
Roethlisberger threw touchdown passes to Bryant and Smith-Schuster to stake the Steelers to a 14-3 halftime lead.
The Steelers made it three drives, two touchdowns after Roethlisberger threw a short shovel pass up the middle to Smith-Schuster for a four-yard score early in the second quarter.
For the second time, a pass interference penalty by the Vikings aided the Steelers' TD drive. This one came when cornerback Trae Waynes tackled Bryant before the ball arrived on a deep route. The 49-yard penalty gave the Steelers a first down at the Vikings' 12.
Minnesota scored for the first time on Forbath's 42-yard field goal with 8:50 left in the half.
The Steelers held a 7-0 lead after one quarter.
Unlike last Sunday in Cleveland, the Steelers came out running the ball.
After yet another penalty ruined their first drive, the Steelers scored on their next possession when Roethlisberger threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Bryant.
They lined up for a two-point conversion but were penalized five yards for delay of game, and Boswell kicked it instead for a 7-0 lead with 3:02 left in the opening quarter.
On that scoring drive, the Steelers ran the ball on seven of the nine official plays but two unofficial ones helped them. They lined up on fourth and one from their 31, as if they were going to run a play, and the Vikings fell for it. At least end Brian Robison did because he jumped the count and was penalized five yards.
Two plays later, cornerback Xavier Rhodes grabbed Antonio Brown's shirt as he was running a deep route and that 22-yard penalty moved the Steelers into Minnesota territory. Several runs by Bell _ and a 9-yarder by James Conner _ preceded the 27-yard touchdown by Bryant, who caught a crossing route at the 15 and beat everyone into the end zone.
