The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-21 at Croke Park on Sunday afternoon in the first regular season NFL game played in Ireland.
Two touchdowns from the Steelers’ running back Kenneth Gainwell, and another from wide receiver DK Metcalf, helped their side to a victory to move their current season record to 3-1.
Despite late touchdowns for the Vikings’ Scott and Nailor, the Pittsburgh side held on for a win.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, the designated ‘home’ team for the opening game in Week 4 of the 2025 regular season, came into the game on the back of two wins and a loss, the same record as today’s rivals, the Minnesota Vikings.
First Quarter
When Jordan Mason’s fumble recovered by Steelers’ Jalen Ramsey, the latter raced 62 yards, for what he thought was his side’s first score of the fixture. The Replay Official reviewed the ball was inbounds, and the play was reversed.
Minutes later, Will Reichard gave the Vikings a 3-0 advantage with 6:24 to play in the opening quarter. His side opted to kick for a field goal from 41 yards, when quarterback Carson Wentz was sacked on the previous down.
The Pittsburgh outfit claimed their first score of this regular season fixture when Kenneth Gainwell ran in from one yard. With the extra point added, the ‘home’ side went into a 7-3 lead with 55 seconds on the clock at the end of the opening quarter.
Kenneth Gainwell scores the first NFL touchdown in Dublin 🇮🇪
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Meltcalf receives 80-yard Rodgers pass
The Steelers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers found DK Metcalf with an 80-yard pass down the Croke Park touchline to claim his side’s second touchdown of the afternoon. With Chris Boswell successful with his second kick at the posts, the Steelers stretched their lead to 14-3 with 12:16 to play to the half.
RODGERS TO METCALF. 80 YARD TOUCHDOWN.
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Though it looked as though that score line would remain until the half-way period of the game, the Vikings’ Will Reichard narrowed his side’s deficit to 6-16 in the dying second of the second quarter. The Steelers’ Jalem Ramsey, who incurred a 5-yard penalty, made the task easier for the Vikings’ kicker.
As the sides left the field after the second quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers held a 14-6 advantage over the Minnesota Vikings.
Second Touchdown for Gainwell
With 2:23 to play in the third quarter, Kenneth Gainwell ran in for his second six-pointer of the game. The score was the end result of an earlier T.J. Watt interception when he gained possession for his side.
The running back Gainwell had failed narrowly to made the end zone on his side’s previous down. From four yards out this time there wasn’t any stopping him as he achieved his brace of touchdowns. Boswell was accurate for the third time in the game as he kicked the extra point, pushing his side into a 21-6 lead.
Kenneth Gainwell gets his second TD of the day
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Boswell also claimed the next score of the game. With 11:18 remaining in the game as the kicker added a field goal from 33 yards out – the successful end of a 4:17 drive.
Scott TD reduces the deficit
A Carson Wentz pass to the deep right found Zavier Scott for a 16-yard touchdown just as the game seemed to be slipping away from the Vikings.
.@cj_wentz steps up in the pocket and throws a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
10-point game in Dublin.
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A two-point conversion was successfully completed from Wentz to Jalen Nailor, leaving 10 points between the sides entering the last eight minutes.
With Minnesota getting the next score, the result of the game was still uncertain as the clock approached two minutes.
A two-yard touchdown pass from Vikings’ quarterback Wentz to Nailor was followed by a successful kick by Reichardt leaving only a field goal between the teams; Steelers 24 Vikings 21.
Wentz finds Nailor for the touchdown.
One score game in Dublin.
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There was late drama when the Steelers thought they had intercepted the Vikings’ ball. A review deemed it an incomplete pass, allowing Minnesota remain possession with less than one minute to play.
Despite their best efforts, the Vikings’ failed to reach the red zone, as the Pittsburgh Steelers held on for a 24-21 victory.
