Steelers hold on to win NFL’s first game in Dublin

The NFL staged a historic game at Dublin’s Croke Park on Sunday, holding on to a thrilling 24-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Steelers had a 21-6 lead going into the final quarter before the Vikings scored two touchdowns to set up the first regular-season game in Ireland.

However, Pittsburgh made it possible for the Rooney family, the team’s owners, to celebrate their triumphant resurgence after an Irish ancestry in 1840.

They have maintained close ties to their Irish roots, including the 1997 pre-season game that was played in Croke Park, and they were once more the driving force behind the NFL’s return to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA).

The Steelers took a raucous support from the majority of the 74,512 crowd as they took a 14-6 lead at half-time.

The play of the day came from DK Metcalf, who threw a pass to quarterback Aaron Rodgers and threw it in for an 80-yard touchdown.

Pittsburgh’s defense of the 1970s was known as the Steel Curtain, and they have won six Super Bowls, including six with the New England Patriots.

This would have been a performance to celebrate the Steelers’ late president, Dan Rooney, who served as the US ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012. The franchise has remained renowned for its defense.

The Steelers stifled back-up quarterback Carson Wentz throughout despite the Steelers’ more first downs, more yards, and more possession time for Minnesota.

The 32-year-old was sacked six times and intercepted twice, and TJ Watt’s second pick, which came late in the third quarter, drew one of the biggest cheers of the day as the Steelers’ star linebacker hurried to the sideline and kicked the ball into the Croke Park crowd.

After the addition of the four-time MVP and star receiver Metcalf during the off-season, Rodgers said Pittsburgh’s offense is still “developing,” and he said on Friday that the “next big improvement will be the run game, getting over 100 yards.”

Rodgers and Metcalf connected for the type of highlight-reel play the Steelers hope to consistently produce this season, while their previous best this year was 72, but they managed 131 in Dublin. Gainwell scored 99 on his own.

Rodgers, a veteran, completed an impressive 18 passes for 200 yards on 22 attempts, but Pittsburgh’s defense responded once more as Minnesota threatened a comeback in the dying seconds.

After helping Minnesota thrash Cincinnati last week, Journeyman Wentz started in his second straight start in place of JJ McCarthy.

Coach Kevin O’Connell has not lost his starting quarterback before, which has earned him the nickname of “queen whisperer.”

However, Pittsburgh capitalized on the Vikings’ offensive line’s lack of offensive players. Wentz attempted 46 passes for Minnesota, who was under pressure for the majority of the afternoon, but only managed 70 yards on the ground, which meant they had to lean more on him.

Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson both recorded 240 in the two weeks following their return from suspension. With two minutes remaining, Minnesota scored the touchdown on an 81-yard play, and Jefferson, who had not slipped on the Croke Park turf, might have scored the touchdown.

After the game, Jefferson expressed his frustration, but at least the Vikings, who are now 2-2, have all week to work on improving their offense before “hosting” the first of the London games of the season on Sunday.