NFL Stepped In To Block Steelers From Gaining An Advantage For Highly Anticipated Contest

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be heading overseas for the first time since the 2013 season as the team will be in Ireland to play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. The Steelers head into the game as underdogs despite the Vikings being forced to start a backup quarterback in Carson Wentz. Wentz played well in Minnesota's Week 3 blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals, and this will be a tough matchup for Pittsburgh to win in order to win back-to-back games for the first time during the 2025 season.

There is some additional strategy that comes into play when teams are playing games abroad. There is the usual game plan, personnel, and schematics for teams to worry about going into any contest, but organizations also have to think about extensive travel and how that could affect the game. In the past, teams playing overseas have travelled at the start of the week in an attempt to combat the time change, but that won't be the case for Pittsburgh or Minnesota in this matchup. Team insider Gerry Dulac addressed this in his chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday morning.

"FYI, the Steelers wanted to go over early in the week, but the NFL said no and making each team arrive at the same time," Dulac wrote. "I don't know the exact reason for the change -- yes, the Vikings as the 'home' team got to London early in the week in 2013 -- maybe it has to do with something about a competitive advantage. But it wasn't the Steelers' decision."

As mentioned, the last time the Steelers went overseas for a regular season game was 2013 when the team played in London, which was also against the Vikings. Minnesota got there earlier in the week while Pittsburgh decided to arrive later on, and players on that team have since come out and stated that that decision was a mistake. Players were sluggish while preparing for the game and during the contest, and there were even coaches falling asleep in meetings.

Team President and Owner Art Rooney II spoke about the upcoming international contest during the 2025 offseason, and he stated that the team would be traveling in the same way that it did back in 2013. This was instantly criticized by the fan base, and it was thought to just be another instance of the franchise not learning from its past mistakes. Now, it has been made clear that this was essentially a decision that was made by the league, not the Steelers themselves.

Dulac speculated that the league is enforcing that each team leave at the same time for Ireland so that neither side is able to gain a competitive advantage. In the past, teams have been able to pick when they travel, but that does not seem to be the case anymore. Dublin is five hours ahead of Pittsburgh, so players will have an additional challenge in Week 4 as the group will have to get their bodies and minds acclimated to the time change.

Steelers Looking For International Revenge Over The Minnesota Vikings

Pittsburgh lost their international matchup with Minnesota back in 2013 by a score of 34-27. However, the game was not as close as the scoreboard indicates. Pittsburgh was down 34-17 at the end of the third quarter, and the team fought back to make it closer and give itself a chance to win. The Steelers lost the turnover battle by two, which was partly the difference in the game as both teams earned right around 400 yards. 

Hopefully this international showing will be stronger for Pittsburgh, especially due to the roots between the organization and Ireland. The Steelers are looking to stack wins, as a game against a backup quarterback is one that Pittsburgh has to find a way to win.

What do you think of the NFL stepping in regarding travel plans overseas? Let us know in the comments below!

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