- Kickoff: 8:30 a.m. Sunday
- Where: Croke Park, Dublin
- TV: NFL Network, Fox 9
- Radio: KFAN-FM 100.3; SiriusXM 380, 820 (Vikings), 227, 826 (Steelers), 88 (Westwood One)
- Line: Vikings by 2½
DUBLIN - The Vikings are 4-0 in international games, having won twice in London over the past three years. They will 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.
Here’s a look at the matchup between the Vikings and Steelers:
The biggest story line
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.
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Vikings offense vs. Steelers defense
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 will get Ryan Kelly back at center, but their refurbished right side will face a tough matchup 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 pass rush, though Queen has been vulnerable in coverage this year and has been dealing with an oblique injury.
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 on five targets, and broke up a pass in the Rams’ 30-23 victory 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.
Vikings defense vs. Steelers offense
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 gave up 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 have 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 will lean heavily on Rodgers and D.K. Metcalf to spark their offense.
