EAGAN, Minn. — An historic double-dip is destiny for a team that embraces opportunity as well as any.

Minnesota (2-1) will launch its international affairs in Dublin versus Pittsburgh (2-1) on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (CT) before jetting to London and "visiting" Cleveland, its third consecutive AFC North opponent.

The planning to pull it off took months. Now, there's only one, er, two things left to do: handle business.

"You see the identity of their team all over the tape, and it's going to be a heck of a challenge," Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said of the Steelers. "Nobody I respect more than Mike Tomlin and what he's been able to build there, and the toughness and the way that team plays 60 minutes every single week."

Vikings Uniform

Minnesota will rock its primary road uniforms (white jerseys, purple pants) as the road team in Ireland.

3 Vikings Storylines

1. Offensive line shuffle

The Vikings fourth game of 2025 will feature a third shakeup to their starting five on the offensive line.

Minnesota deployed, from left to right, Justin Skule, Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Brian O'Neill as starters in Weeks 1 and 2 to protect J.J. McCarthy. That iteration adapted when Skule and Kelly left the Falcons game in concussion protocol and were replaced by Walter Rouse and Michael Jurgens. In Week 3, with Carson Wentz subbing for McCarthy, Jurgens made his first start at center, and "Big Dog" Christian Darrisaw completed his return from an ACL injury ahead of schedule to take over at left tackle.

Enter, Blake Brandel.

The 2024 starter at left guard will fill in for Jackson as the rookie heals from wrist surgery. Jackson suffered the injury in Week 2 but remained in the lineup for another game because there was no risk of a worse injury. Brandel can play guard, tackle and center and recently handled mop-up duties for Darrisaw against the Bengals. Brandel also filled in, in the interior when Jackson suffered a nosebleed in Week 3.

Kelly participated fully in practice this week.

Although his reunion with Wentz is in its infancy on the Vikings, they overlapped in Indianapolis in 2021, when Wentz quarterbacked the Colts to a 9-8 record. That familiarity could be invaluable since Wentz got zero work with him in training camp and spent his first few weeks on the "look" squad with Jurgens.

Both O'Connell and Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips harped on the need to correct pre-snap errors.

"If you're pointing to a negative (last week), we had too many penalties and really six of those were kind of procedural, whether it's the five false starts or the one illegal formation; [those] are things that we can control," Phillips said. "There'll be a holding call here and there, and those types of things throughout the course of a game, but those [pre-snap penalties] are the things we really want to clean up."

2. Another BIG test for secondary

Sightly pass rush: check. Magnetic coverage: check. Takeaway-crazed defense: back like it never left.

Minnesota's conglomeration of playmakers, chaos-creators and savvy pressure disguises foiled Cincinnati's attempts to generate splash plays over the top and underneath. ICYMI, the usually potent pairing of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins totaled six catches for 65 yards. That recipe needs replication.

The biggest assignment, quite literally, for the Vikings defense in Dublin likely will be stopping outside receiver DK Metcalf, whom the Steelers acquired in March via a trade with the Seahawks. Metcalf, 6-foot-4, is the same height as Higgins but is not as svelte; he looks more like a muscled-up edge rusher.

Heading across the pond, Metcalf paces Pittsburgh in targets (17) and chain-moving catches (7). His timing with Rodgers is a work in progress – RB Jaylen Warren narrowly leads the group in receptions and yards (and is by far the most productive rusher on the team) – but once it clicks it could be dangerous.

Metcalf has scored four times his last six times out, a touchdown tear that began Dec. 22 when Minnesota triumphed in the waning minutes at Seattle. In four career games facing the Vikings, Metcalf has produced a receiving line of 21-332-4, with single-game highs of six grabs (3x), 107 yards and two TD.

The Vikings primarily use cornerbacks Byron Murphy, Jr., Jeff Okudah and Isaiah Rodgers on the outside (the former slides inside when Okudah comes on in subpackages). Rodgers is the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week and has permitted a passer rating of 18.8 when targeted, per Pro Football Focus. Okudah is super, super physical. And Murphy is due for his first pick of 2025 after nabbing six a year ago.

Notably, Metcalf is averaging a career-low 5.8 air yards per target, according to Next Gen Stats. His previous low in a season was 11.8 yards. In the same plane, Rodgers is 1-for-6 passing with 22 yards and a pick on deep passes (20-plus air yards). The quarterback has attempted an NFL-high 31.4 percent of passes behind the line of scrimmage and leads the NFL with a 120.2 rating on throws under 10 air yards.

That dependency on short passes could possibly be viewed as a negative if the Steelers were not so dynamic with the ball in their hands. The Steelers are YAC (yards after catch) kings through three weeks, gaining 443 yards. Conversely, the Vikings have surrendered the third-fewest yards after the catch (225).

3. Jordan Addison's 2025 debut

Addison had a “podium” training camp and recently completed his three-game suspension by the NFL.

So, what can we anticipate on Sunday?

It's not far-fetched to imagine Addison doing the things we're accustomed to; he's phenomenal at separating from coverage; he's elite at the catchpoint; and as good as they come at tracking the football.

It's also not fair to expect Addison to catch four balls for 55 yards (his per-game career averages) right out of the gate because there's plenty of options – i.e. Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, Adam Thielen, T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver. Not to mention, he's worked with Wentz in practices only since Wednesday.

Coaches and Addison voiced confidence in his conditioning, though, and are excited to unleash his skill set in an offense that really has four starting caliber receivers now. Fresh legs and his man-on-a-mission mentality could enable Addison to jolt Minnesota's passing game, and open things up for his teammates.

By the way, Addison's 19 receiving touchdowns through his first 32 career games ranks third in Vikings history behind Randy Moss' all-time NFL record of 28 and Sammy White's 20. (FYI, Jefferson grabbed 16.)

2 Things 'Bout the Steelers

1. 'All-time great' quarterback

It's fitting Minnesota is the team with a chance to beat Aaron Rodgers in a third country.

The four-time Most Valuable Player with the Packers is 16-12-1 in starts against the Vikings. Eleven of Rodgers' losses occurred stateside; the most recent, memorable because of Andrew Van Ginkel's pick six and Stephon Gilmore's win-sealing interception, happened last season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Rodgers is 2-2 in games against Minnesota since O'Connell's hiring in 2022. More importantly, however, Rodgers is 0-1 facing Brian Flores as a head coach or coordinator (2024 was their only such showdown).

Furthermore, Rodgers has connected on 58 percent of his pass attempts against the blitz since 2024 and generated a minus-40.9 EPA (expected points added) on such plays, the worst mark in the NFL. In the same timeframe, Flores' unit has blitzed at the highest rate in the league – on 41.3 percent of dropbacks.

Nevertheless, in Year 21, Rodgers, 41, has the Vikings attention.

"This is one of the all-time greats at the quarterback position," Flores said. "He can still play at a high level. The velocity on the throws is there, the touch is there, the movement [after the snap] is there."

Team captain Harrison Smith added, "It's obviously a little bit different [when he's on a new team], but the things that he can do and is capable of – he still has it. He still can make every throw. He's obviously in great command of everything pre-snap, post-snap. He's a very unique player to play against just because of the way he plays the position and the things he's able to do just with his awareness and his efficiency, even on stuff you don't notice – his ball handling, his fakes, stuff like that; it's really high level.

"It's crazy when you see [21 seasons] on the scouting report," Smith said. "It's always been a challenge playing against him, but a very high level of appreciation for what he's able to do and continue to do."

2. Household names on defense

First things first, Pittsburgh ranks 26^th in the NFL against the run and pass.

The Steelers have licensed nearly 400 yards of total offense to the Jets and Justin Fields, the Seahawks and Sam Darnold, and the Patriots and Drake Maye in consecutive games. They escaped a Week 1 loss at New York thanks to a vintage Rodgers outing (4 TD, 0 INT); they got throttled by Seattle (Darnold passed for 295 yards with a 2:2 TD-INT ratio, and Kenneth Walker III averaged 8.1 yards on 13 carries); and had a Vikings-esque game defensively, forcing five turnovers (four fumbles), to dodge a defeat at New England.

With that in mind, Pittsburgh's defense is littered with potential future Hall of Famers.

Cameron Heyward is hot off his fourth career First-Team All-Pro nod and seventh Pro Bowl. The 36-year-old was a rookie the season after Gold Jacket Troy Polamalu was tabbed the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he began his own incredible run as a contributor on the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense. Last season, the interior lineman notched eight sacks, 20 QB hits and a career-best 11 passes defended.

T.J. Watt has 110 sacks in 124 games. We triple-checked that basic stat because it's flat-out nasty. The only player with more sacks in as many games to start a career is Reggie White (125.5). Watt was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and has fared Top 5 on that ballot in five of the past six seasons.

Darius Slay is nicknamed "Big Play Slay" for a reason. His exploits include 28 career interceptions (fourth most among current players) and five defensive touchdowns. Acquired in free agency after winning Super Bowl LIX with Philly, Slay also ranks No. 1 among active players with 162 pass breakups and has had a good run of success against Minnesota as evidenced by his five picks and 16 PBUs over 15 games.

That's a good segue to a player O'Connell knows personally from his coaching stint in Los Angeles.

Jalen Ramsey is No. 2 among active players with 112 passes defended.

"He's just so impactful. He's got the versatility to do so many jobs within a defense. He's always around the football. And when he is around the football, he's got pretty elite athleticism, ball skills and football intelligence to just consistently be a problem," O'Connell noted. "He's a guy – we've got to know where he is. He plays different roles within their defense depending on what type of personnel they're [using]."

There's also ascending talent in OLB Nick Herbig, NT Keeanu Benton, LB Payton Wilson and CB Joey Porter, Jr., who possess the makeups of players capable of becoming household names down the line.

1 Key Matchup

Vikings OL vs. Steelers DL

Many of the players discussed above factor into this matchup.

It's somewhat self-explanatory: Minnesota's musical chairs up front, with Wentz still learning a new system, creates a newness that Pittsburgh's hardened front seven will do its best to use to its advantage.

Two tactical measures the Vikings could take to soften the effect of Watt and Co. are leaning into the quick passing game à la Week 3, and leaning on their bigger bodies, namely bruising RB Jordan Mason.

Wentz excelled with quick deliveries against Cincinnati, clipping 11 of 15 throws for 130 yards and two TD per PFF, good for a 138.9 passer rating. Likewise, Mason tore through holes, picking up his first 100-yard day as a Viking and first career two-touchdown game. The binary approach could go a long way.

"I'm sure you guys felt a chill beneath your feet when I think at one point I called three or four runs in a row (last week)," O'Connell reflected on how Mason's impact may impact strategy. "Listen, I have really enjoyed how we've attacked people over the years here and tried to make the best parts of our offense and the best way to attack people based upon our skill sets, you know, I've enjoyed that side of it and I'm absolutely loving the idea of forming the identity that best fits this team. And that's my job. It starts with that – of making sure we're doing the things that we need to do for these guys to have success and to try to make the best situation we possibly can for our players, and play calls have a ton to do with that."

Top Quotes of Week 4

Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores on drilling punchouts at practice and at home

"Between tackling circuits and turnover circuits, I think I've always been a part of those. I think there's much greater attention to detail (now) and specific 'Hey, here are the techniques. This is what it is. And this is what we call it.' And players call it the same thing. Big eyes on a small target. … Kind of buzz words or buzz phrases like that. We talk about [knocking the ball out] every day. I talk to my sons about it – every time they give me a hug they better punch at the ball. I hug them every day; they get hugged all the time by me, so I want a punch. It's certainly something that shows up in my house. We got one out last week in our game; my son Miles got one out, ripped one out. We didn't recover it, but I know he's working the techniques, so I was happy to see that. My son Max got one out, too, last week, so shout out to those guys. But yeah, it's something that – Matt Daniels talks about it being in your subconscious, where it's just muscle memory and something we do. And I think that's starting to show up in-game."

Quarterback Carson Wentz on if he gained confidence from Isaiah Rodgers’ historic performance

"Yeah, I mean that was tremendous. I watched Isaiah just run down the sideline a couple of times; I was like, 'Is this for real?' which I think everybody else was, too. So, [I'm confident], but at the same time I'm not trying to do too much. I'm trying to play within the system and understand the 'why we're calling plays' and get through progressions quickly, and not trying to do too much. Just trying to do my job and help us stay on the field and move the ball. This whole team, we have so much confidence in our defense and we just need to play smart and move the ball, stay on the field, and I'm confident that we'll be able to do that. So to your question, I'm confident, but at the same time, not trying to do too much."

From the Inbox – by Craig Peters

What can you say about this defensive performance and that of Isaiah Rogers? Wentz can only build on his personal performance. Not great, but not terrible. A veteran Band-Aid for a struggling offensive line adjusting to a new QB.

Bring on the Steelers!

— Nicholas Balkou

We've tried to capitalize on the multiple opportunities to highlight "Zay-Rodg" ever since the game ended for his multi-award-winning performance.

My favorite play of his entire day was his coverage against Higgins on the jump ball in the end zone. Flores said the Vikings were a little late to get into their blitz, and Jake Browning took a good proposition of Higgins against single coverage. The duo connected for a score against the Vikings in Cincy in 2023, but Rodgers calmly played his technique with aplomb, and being able to have a corner in single coverage will continue to offer Flores more ways to cook up pressures.

Given the fact that Wentz had essentially participated in four practices with the first team, I thought his performance was incredibly encouraging. He said he was disappointed by the sacks he took, but I thought the Vikings were able to blend elements he had previously succeeded at with O'Connell's system.

The o-line has endured multiple changes (as mentioned by Rob earlier), so Wentz's experience — Sunday will be his 100^th NFL game — can help offset all the shuffling.

Coach O'Connell,

My name is Adam Luke. I am middle school physical education teacher, football coach, lifelong Vikings fan and watch every weekend! As a coach and fan, I watch all your press conferences, game ball locker room speeches and social media clips. The way you carry yourself and exhibit your calm demeanor during press conferences on and off the field is second to none!! These Viking teams with you as their head coach constantly fight through adversity cool and collected. I truly believe that's because of your outward appearance and professionalism. You're a true role model! You make Vikings nation and my family so proud to be Vikings fans. Thank you for being you and all you do!!!

— Adam Luke in Rochester, New York

Appreciate your support from near the other end of the Great Lakes.

O'Connell's presentation of positivity is authentic.

I love how he is willing to be mic'd up during preseason and regular-season games because it gives viewers a direct view of how he approaches the game and trying to maximize the potential in each player.

The virtues he consistently embodies could be incorporated by other coaches at all levels of football, and I think players will benefit if they are.

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