Vikings' Kevin O'Connell Attempts To Make Strong Excuse For Coming Up Short Against The Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to win its first international regular season game in franchise history on Sunday as the team took down the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. The environment seemed electric and the game meant a lot to Pittsburgh and the Rooney family. It was a meaningful victory for the organization, but it was also an important win in the grand scheme of things as Pittsburgh is now 3-1 on the season heading into its bye week.

Pittsburgh was able to take down Minnesota by a score of 24-21, but they were were dominant at certain parts of the contest. The Steelers had a 21-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, and things got close in the final 15 minutes of the game. Minnesota was able to score two touchdowns, which included a two-point conversion. The Vikings had the ball in the final minute to try to drive down the field and potentially kick a game-tying field goal, but the group wound up turning the ball over on downs.

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell spoke to the media after the game, and he was asked about the final drive of the contest for the Vikings. This drive was made harder after a delay of game penalty made it fourth and 17 for Minnesota.

"The energy in the building was fantastic," O'Connell said. "You know, I think it was probably a combination of, you know, the energy there on the last drive and, you know, just one of those negatives being the quarterback facing a clock that is off. That's not an excuse, we knew about it. But that is a unique challenge when it comes to most, if not all, NFL games. You're normally staring right down the defense at that play clock to be able to speed things up and get the ball snapped."

O'Connell was asked if the noise in the stadium, which was mostly dominated by Pittsburgh fans, affected things on Minnesota's final drive. He mentioned the noise while also stating that quarterback Carson Wentz did not have a play clock to look at at the end of the field he was facing. This certainly contributed to the delay of game penalty that made it fourth and 17 rather than fourth and 12.

The Steelers were able to break up the pass on fourth and 17 and then kneel the clock out to end the game. Had Wentz been facing a play clock, which every other NFL stadium has, then maybe the delay of game penalty could have been avoided and the Vikings would have had a better chance at extending the game. Wentz was confused in the moment as the NFL's coach-to-player communication system cuts out with 15 seconds on the play clock, so the quarterback was lost on how to handle the situation. This put Pittsburgh in a strong spot to end the game, although it was a longshot that the Vikings would have been able to convert on fourth and 12 anyways.

It is also important to note that O'Connell knew about this factor before playing in this stadium, and he had every chance to prepare his team for it. Minnesota even had a walk through in Croke Park the day before the game, so it seems more fair to blame the play clock issue on poor quarterback play and poor coaching in that instance.

Steelers In Firm Control In The AFC North After Win Over Vikings

Pittsburgh is currently in first place in the AFC North after its win over Minnesota. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns are both at the bottom of the division with a record of 1-3, while the Cincinnati Bengals are 2-1 and awaiting to play on Monday night. The season has started great for Pittsburgh in regards to the division, and hopefully it continues this way as the Ravens will likely be a problem to deal with later in the year.

What do you think about O'Connell's comments on the final drive? Let us know in the comments below!

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