Grading the Steelers:

Jack McCurry, who completed his 24th season as the head coach of the North Hills High School Indians. He has won four WPIAL titles.

Grading the Vikings:

Neil Gordon, who completed his 15th season as the head coach of the Penn Hills High School Indians. He has won one WPIAL title.

Offense: C

It wasn't pretty, in fact, it was downright ugly. For three quarters, Jerome Bettis and company had a comfortable lead. The Steelers then became too conservative. With Bettis on the sideline, the offense was unable to move the ball. Kordell Stewart's fumble late could have been disastrous. Still, a win is a win.

Offense: D

Nonexistent until Todd Bouman arrived in the fourth quarter. Although rookie Michael Bennett ran well, the inability to get the ball consistently to Cris Carter and Randy Moss spelled disaster for the struggling Vikings. The three-step drops helped to eliminate the sacks, but Daunte Culpepper was in no condition to lead the team.

Defense: C +

For three quarters, the defense was solid, then the Vikings came to life. The Steelers surrendered a screen pass and long pass to Randy Moss to let the Vikings back in the game. When Stewart fumbled, the outcome of the game was in the hands of the defense. All teams face adversity, and the good teams find ways to win. The defense did just that.

Defense: C -

Although things brightened somewhat in the fourth, the Vikings' front seven was mangled the entire game by the best offensive line in the business. Safety Robert Griffith had a great day, but when your leading tackler is in the secondary, the front needs to evaluate its effort in the all-important trenches.

Special Teams: B -

Troy Edwards made contributions on offense and also on special teams. His kick returns were helpful but not as big as the fumble he caused. As usual, Josh Miller's punting was consistent, but again Kris Brown struggled. Brown's missed field goal late in first half hurt.

Special Teams: C -

Although the punt and kickoff coverage units played with aggression and intensity, the return work of Nate Jacquet was extremely tentative and very costly. Jacquet's fumble and Gary Anderson's missed field goal did little to turn the tide for an offense obviously struggling.

Coaching: B

The offensive game plan was successful as long as Bettis was in the lineup. The play selection was diverse and effective. But with Bettis parked, the offense stalled. Was it Bettis or play selection? The defense was in cruise control until Todd Bouman entered the game. Two Vikings touchdowns and a fumble almost turned the game into a nightmare.

Coaching: F

The staff's decision to stay with the hobbled Culpepper for the majority of the game eliminated any hopes of a victory. Without the threat, the play-action and the typical scrambling ... how exactly did Dennis Green expect the Vikings to move with any consistency?

Team Score: 83

Team Score: 75

Key

100-95

Super Bowl performance

94-90

Division title contenders

89-80

Wild Card possibility

79-70

Shooting for high draft picks in 2002

69-less

Check waiver wire