The Pittsburgh Steelers are finally set to play a regular-season game in Dublin, Ireland. Dan Rooney would be proud, and he will be looking down on the Steelers on Sunday morning. Pittsburgh will face off against the Minnesota Vikings. They will present a great challenge for Mike Tomlin’s football team, but a win is expected to be brought back to the Steel City.
The Vikings pounded the Bengals 48-10 last week. Hopefully, the Steelers watched that game and are planning to do everything opposite of what Cincinnati did. Carson Wentz threw two touchdown passes, Jordan Mason ran wild for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Isaiah Rodgers scored two defensive touchdowns. It was pure domination by Minnesota. Don’t be the Bengals in Week 4.
Aaron Rodgers didn’t get sacked last week. Do that again. The Steelers’ offensive line wasn’t perfect, but they need to build on that performance. The Patriots entered the game with the most sacks in the NFL, and the Pittsburgh offensive line allowed zero to them. Rodgers has the worst time to throw in the NFL, so there is still work to do, but it’s a good building block. Keep building this week across the pond.
Justin Jefferson has had a quiet season by his standards. He has only caught 12 passes for 200 yards and one touchdown. The Steelers defense can’t let him torch them. His partner in crime, Jordan Addison, is back from suspension, and he will also pose a gigantic threat to Pittsburgh’s defense. The Vikings will be tough to cover in Dublin, but the Pittsburgh defense has to step up to the occasion.
The Steelers’ offense was sluggish last week against the Patriots. They threw a bunch of passes behind the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh only posted 203 total yards and struggled to run the ball again. That stuff isn’t going to fly against Brian Flores’ defense. He runs a tight ship in Minnesota. His defense will be tough to solve, but if anybody can do it, it’s Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings’ defense is coached well, but they aren’t invincible.
Pittsburgh’s defense finally woke up and forced five turnovers last Week in New England. This Week, they face Carson Wentz. He has thrown 67 interceptions and fumbled the ball 72 times in his career. If the Steelers can make him feel the pressure early, he will become a panicked mess. Creating chaos will lead to splash plays for Mike Tomlin’s defense. T.J. Watt will have to make his presence felt early and often in Week 4.
Week 4 presents a gigantic opportunity for Pittsburgh. Improving to 3-1 is a far better feeling than sinking to 2-2. The early part of the schedule is supposed to be the easy part, so it’s time to handle business. Pittsburgh hasn’t played complementary football yet this season. If the offense looks good, the defense plays badly. If the defense balls out, the offense falters. It’s time to put it all together and put on a show for the people of Ireland. Go make the late Dan Rooney proud.
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