DUBLIN – The Vikings are 4-0 in international games, having won twice in London over the past three years. They’ll try to keep their international win streak alive in Ireland on Sunday before heading to London next week. And in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Dublin, the Vikings will see an old foe.
Ireland the latest site for Vikings’ duel with Rodgers: The Vikings faced Aaron Rodgers 30 times (29 in the regular season, one in the playoffs) during his 15 years as the Packers’ starter, before seeing him in London last year when they beat the Jets. Rodgers was interested in playing for Kevin O’Connell this season, and the team talked with the quarterback at least briefly about the possibility this spring before closing the door on the idea. He signed with the Steelers on June 5, and he threw four touchdown passes in a win over the Jets to open the season, before struggling against Seattle and throwing for 139 yards in a win over the Patriots last week.
Watt, Heyward will test Vikings’ latest O-line combination: The Vikings will use their third different offensive line in four weeks, with Blake Brandel starting at left guard in place of the injured Donovan Jackson. They should get Ryan Kelly back at center, but their refurbished right side will face a tough matchup on Sunday, with T.J. Watt rushing off Brian O’Neill’s outside shoulder and Cam Heyward lined up next to him at defensive tackle. Former Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen adds another component to the Steelers’ rush, though Queen has been vulnerable in coverage this year and has been limited by an oblique injury this week.
Jefferson gets a matchup with Ramsey: The only time Justin Jefferson and Jalen Ramsey have faced one another, Jefferson had eight catches for 116 yards, but did most of his damage against other corners. Ramsey allowed only three catches for 24 yards in five targets, and broke up a pass in the Rams’ 30-23 win over the Vikings on Dec. 26, 2021. The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl, paving the way for O’Connell to get the Vikings’ job after the season, and the head coach gets the task of trying to spring Jefferson loose against the veteran cover corner on Sunday. The Steelers play lots of single-high safety coverages, though most teams keep two safeties deep with Jefferson on the field. It will be interesting to see if the Steelers change their approach against Jefferson, especially with Jordan Addison returning from suspension.
Rodgers could face pressure behind shaky line: Against the Jets last year, the Vikings blitzed Rodgers on 31 of his 57 dropbacks, sacking him three times and pressuring him 17 times. He’ll use his quick release to beat some of the pressure, but old axioms about the dangers of blitzing Rodgers no longer apply; the Vikings figure to come after the 41-year-old quarterback and test his willingness to absorb contact while playing behind a line that’s likely to allow some pressure.
Steelers have struggled to run the ball: In the Vikings’ one loss this season, they allowed 218 rushing yards to the Falcons as Bijan Robinson made them pay for sloppy tackling. The Steelers aren’t as well-equipped to do that. According to Sports Info Solutions, they’ve been stuffed on 26.9% of their run attempts this season, the fourth-highest rate in the league, while their ballcarriers have been hit at the line on 53.7% of rushing attempts. The Steelers haven’t run for more than 72 yards in a game this year; they’ll be leaning heavily on Rodgers and D.K. Metcalf to spark their offense.
The Steelers’ defense has forced eight turnovers through three games, one ahead of the Vikings for the second-most in the league so far. If Pittsburgh can pressure Carson Wentz and win the turnover battle, it could have a chance to hand the Vikings their first international loss. But the Vikings have a talent advantage, and their pass rush might be too much for the Steelers to handle. This one could follow a similar path to the Vikings’ London game against the Jets last year, where they get a lead early and withstand a Rodgers-led comeback. Vikings 21, Steelers 17