PITTSBURGH — Vikings replacement quarterback Case Keenum converted the opening third down. Running back Dalvin Cook firmly cut toward left tackle for an eight-yard gain.
Then the yellow flags started flying.
Cook's run was called back because of left guard Nick Easton's holding penalty, the first of 11 accepted penalties (two declined) against the Vikings — costing them 131 yards on both sides of the ball in Sunday's 26-9 loss to the Steelers. It was just the fourth time under coach Mike Zimmer the Vikings were penalized at least 10 times.
Two of those penalties were holding calls on Easton.
"I'm not happy with myself on that," Easton said. "I thought one of them was iffy and the other one I definitely held."
Culprits were spread across the Vikings depth chart. Center Pat Elflein was the only Vikings offensive lineman not flagged on Sunday. In all, nine different Vikings were penalized. That's not counting the two declined penalties, including an early jump from defensive tackle Tom Johnson giving Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the green light to unleash a 51-yard deep ball to Martavis Bryant.
"We have been pretty good with penalties," Zimmer said. "We were undisciplined today with some of the things we did. We jumped off sides a couple times and had a couple pass interferences."
Trae Waynes had perhaps the most backbreaking penalty. The third-year cornerback was pulled from the game after he interfered with Bryant on another deep shot from Roethlisberger. Instead of third-and-22 after the incompletion, Waynes was flagged for a 49-yard pass interference that put Pittsburgh at the Vikings' 12-yard line. Three plays later, Roethlisberger flipped a touchdown pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster to give the Steelers a 14-0 lead.
