Steelers Escape Dublin With A Big Win Over The Vikings

In some respects, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have benefited from a touch of Irish luck in this one.

The team traveled to Dublin, Ireland on Thursday, arriving early Friday morning. Then, in front of a boisterous crowd at Croke Park, they secured a hard-fought 24–21 victory, improving their record to 3–1 heading into the bye week.

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The Steelers’ opening defensive sequence nearly resulted in a touchdown after cornerback Brandin Echols forced a fumble on Vikings running back Jordan Mason. The loose ball was recovered by fellow cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The defense ultimately held firm, relegating the Vikings to a field goal following a key sack by linebacker Patrick Queen, giving Pittsburgh an early 3–0 lead.

On the ensuing offensive drive, quarterback Aaron Rodgers orchestrated a methodical 9-play, 71-yard march downfield. The series was highlighted by two clutch first-down conversions from wide receiver D.K. Metcalf and capped off by a touchdown run from Kenneth Gainwell, putting the Steelers ahead 7–3.

In the second quarter, the Steelers offense delivered its biggest play of the season: an 80-yard strike from Rodgers to Metcalf down the middle of the field for a touchdown. With the extra point, Pittsburgh extended its lead to 14–3.

Following an interception by safety DeShon Elliott, Rodgers led a 12-play, 56-yard drive that was ultimately thwarted by a blocked field goal courtesy of Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. Minnesota responded with another field goal on the next possession, trimming the deficit to 14–6 at halftime.

In the third quarter, Pittsburgh’s defense came alive with a series of splash plays. On the Vikings’ second offensive series, the Steelers recorded back-to-back sacks from Elliott and defensive tackle Keeanu Benton. The drive was punctuated by an interception from All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt.

The Steelers capitalized on the turnover, with Gainwell carrying the bulk of the load and finishing the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21–6.

In the fourth quarter, kicker Chris Boswell added a field goal to make it 24–6. Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz responded with a 9-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in a touchdown run by Zavier Scott. A successful two-point conversion narrowed the gap to 24–14.

Late in the quarter, after a failed fourth-down attempt by the Steelers offense, the Vikings mounted a 97-yard drive from their own 1-yard line. On fourth down, Wentz connected with receiver Jalen Nailor for a 2-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to just three points.

With the game on the line and the Vikings regaining possession after the two-minute warning, the Steelers defense stood tall. Despite two costly penalties, they forced a turnover on downs to seal a hard-fought 24–21 victory over Minnesota.

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Standout Performers

Despite some costly late-game miscues, the Steelers defense turned in a commanding performance, racking up six sacks, two interceptions, and seven passes defended. Leading the charge was All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt, who added a sack, an interception, and five tackles to his stat line.

Watt wasn’t the only standout Badger. Defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and linebacker Nick Herbig combined for nine tackles, three sacks, and six quarterback hits. Second-year linebacker Payton Wilson was a consistent force, leading the team with 13 tackles—two for loss—and registering a quarterback hit.

On offense, wide receiver D.K. Metcalf delivered explosive production, hauling in five catches for 126 yards, including a game-changing 80-yard touchdown. Running back Kenneth Gainwell stepped up in Jaylen Warren’s absence, setting a career high with 99 rushing yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. He also added 35 receiving yards on six receptions.