The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of their bye week after getting off to a solid start to the 2025 season as they currently sit at 3-1 through the first four weeks. The team appears to be starting to hit a little bit of a groove as well, as the Week 4 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland was the best the team has looked as a whole thus far. That victory has Steeler Nation cautiously optimistic for the rest of the season.
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Steelers fans waving their Terrible Towels at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland during the Steelers' 24-21 win over the Minnesota Vikings on September 28, 2025.
Despite the win in Week 4 that for much of the game looked like the Steelers were in firm control, the anxiety level continues to rise throughout the fourth quarter as the Vikings clawed their way back. There were some decisions late in that victory that had many people questioning the thought process behind them. It is never good to let teams have life late in the game, and the decisions that were made on critical possession downs didn't have the outcomes many would have liked to see.
One of the most criticized decisions was to punt the ball on 4th and 1, giving the ball back to the Vikings with just over one minute remaining. Luckily the Steelers' defense was able to quickly shut down the following Vikings drive to win the game, but the decision not to end the game with the offense on the field still led to Head Coach Mike Tomlin being heavily criticized.
While meeting with the media during the bye week, Connor Heyward shined some light that ended up adding a little context to the series of events leading up to the punt. As it turns out, the 3rd and 1 play that ultimately was stuffed by the Vikings wasn't a smooth operation, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers had trouble getting the play call in.
"I think there was like technical difficulties going on with the helmet," said Heyward on the 3rd and 1 play. "We just got up to the ball and tried to get them to jump offsides and then we ended up having to call timeout."
It is incredibly unfortunate that a play as critical as a short yardage play on third down to potentially ice the game ended up having some hiccups from the start due to technical difficulties.
One thing to note however, the Vikings did call timeout after the Steelers' second down play, which got them to the 3rd and 1 situation. So the Steelers already had time to huddle together and discuss a play call over on the sideline. So Rodgers being unable to get the play call when he got back into the huddle on the field made having to call a timeout in that situation extra frustrating.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers ahead of a play in Dublin, Ireland during a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
If the Steelers were to be able to communicate a play appropriately and not have to use their final timeout on third down, it may have affected their decision making on fourth down. The Steelers elected to take a delay of game penalty and ended up punting, but if they had that timeout still in their pocket, they could have potentially sent the offense back out to either go for the first down, or attempt to draw the defense offsides. They then could have called the timeout if they didn't like the look or were unsuccessful.
Regardless of the technical difficulties, the decision to punt on 4th and 1 in their opponent's territory with a minute left and the lead is one that'll be questioned until the Steelers take the field in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.
Steelers Are In Good Position To Have Success In The AFC North
Being alone atop the AFC North is usually not an easy task. However, the Steelers have received a little bit of luck with the rest of the division struggling with their players' performances or injuries. Some are even predicting that the Steelers should dominate the AFC North and go 6-0 against their division rivals.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (right) and Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh (left) talk during warmups before the game at Heinz Field on September 30, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
It is never easy in the NFL to go 6-0 in any stretch, let alone against the teams that know you best. However, the way the division is shaping up currently, it is hard not to be optimistic about the Steelers' chances.
Do you think the Steelers made a mistake by punting on fourth down? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @matt_papiernik and follow me.
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