Was beating the Vikings special? Aaron Rodgers says: ‘Definitely. Just leave it at that.’

DUBLIN - With his behavior, injuries and performance the last two years, Aaron Rodgers has painted himself as a high-maintenance quarterback.

On Sunday, he simply looked like a good, experienced one for Pittsburgh.

Facing a Vikings defense that hoped to harass and bruise the 41-year-old, Rodgers was remarkably efficient and even moved like a younger version of himself.

He completed 18 of 22 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown. He fumbled once, after scrambling, but the ball bounced to a teammate. And when he saw star wide receiver DK Metcalf sprinting unbothered across the middle of the field, he hit him in stride for an 80-yard catch-and-run touchdown, perhaps the biggest play of the game.

Accuracy and mobility have always been Rodgers’ strengths. He had plenty of the former and enough of the latter to help the Steelers defeat the Vikings 24-21 on Sunday, and he left Vikings defenders impressed.

“As advertised,” Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard said. “Crazy arm, getting the ball out quick, understanding defenses, trying to find our soft spots. And they knew we’d obviously be rushing to try to get to him, so they tried to get the ball out quick to throw us off and get the run game going.”

Rodgers reportedly was interested in playing for the Vikings this season. The Vikings reportedly discussed the possibility. So Rodgers could have had personal motives for playing well Sunday.

Whatever your opinion of Rodgers’ personality, he provided reminders Sunday that he is one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game.

His touchdown pass to Metcalf gave him more 50-yard passing plays than any quarterback in history, 91, moving him past Drew Brees.

He also became the second quarterback in history to throw 60 touchdown passes against multiple opponents. He has reached 60 against the Chicago Bears and the Vikings; Tom Brady did it against Buffalo, the New York Jets and Miami.

Asked a second time about beating the Vikings, Rodgers noted that he lost to Minnesota while with the Jets in London last year.

“Well, I wish I would have beaten them last year on that other island east of here,” he said.

“Look, there’s been great battles with Minnesota,“ said Rodgers, who improved to 18-12-1 against the Vikings in his career. ”The Packers’ biggest rivalry is with the Bears, but the interstate rivalry between Wisconsin people and Minnesota people, is more, they don’t like each other a lot."

Last week, Rodgers asked whether the Steelers should have come to Ireland earlier in the week to settle in and sightsee.

Will he come back to Dublin on his own?

“Are you guys going to have Guinness here?” he said with a smile. “Then, yeah, probably.”