Kenneth Gainwell carried Pittsburgh on his back. T.J. Watt made the play that ended Minnesota’s best drive of the night. And Carson Wentz’s two turnovers proved more expensive than his 350 passing yards.
Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland | September 28, 2025
Pittsburgh finished off a frantic Minnesota comeback attempt to win 24–21 on Sunday, claiming the first NFL regular-season game ever played in Ireland. Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers completed 18 of 22 passes without an interception. The Steelers improved to 3–1. The Vikings fell to 2–2.
Table of Contents
The Plays That Decided It
Minnesota drew first blood — a Will Reichard 41-yard field goal after an 11-play, 51-yard drive. Pittsburgh responded immediately. Gainwell punched it in from a yard out to end a nine-play, 71-yard answer, and the Steelers never trailed again.
The knockout blow in the first half came from Rodgers to DK Metcalf — a crossing route, one missed tackle by safety Theo Jackson, and an 80-yard touchdown that put Pittsburgh up 14–3. Isaiah Rodgers then blocked Chris Boswell’s 30-yard field goal attempt with 1:42 left in the half, keeping the Vikings within striking range. Reichard’s 28-yarder just before halftime made it 14–6 at the break.
T.J. Watt’s third-quarter interception — Cam Heyward tipped the pass at the line of scrimmage, Watt snatched it — put Pittsburgh on the Minnesota 35. Five plays later, Gainwell scored from four yards out. 21–6. Boswell’s 33-yard field goal early in the fourth pushed it to 24–6, and the game looked finished.
Wentz had other ideas. A 16-yard touchdown pass to Zavier Scott, followed by a two-point conversion pass to Jalen Nailor, made it 24–14. Then Jordan Addison — playing his first game after a three-game suspension — hauled in an 81-yard reception from Wentz down to the 1-yard line. Nailor caught the two-yard touchdown pass on fourth down. 24–21. Under three minutes left.
Minnesota got the ball back. Wentz’s pass on fourth-and-17 from his own 32 fell incomplete. Pittsburgh ran out the clock.
“We just didn’t do enough things to overcome either our own execution or the injuries or whatever.” — Kevin O’Connell, Vikings Head Coach
The numbers tell the full story of how Minnesota both outgained and lost this game: 372 total yards to Pittsburgh’s 313, six sacks allowed, two turnovers, and a 3-for-14 showing on third down.
“There was always someone in his face, and he was uncomfortable.” — Cameron Heyward, on Carson Wentz
Full Box Score
Passing Stats
| QB | CMP | ATT | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | SACKS | RTG | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Wentz (MIN) | 30 | 46 | 350 | 7.6 | 2 | 2 | 6–48 | 84.5 | 42.0 |
| Aaron Rodgers (PIT) | 18 | 22 | 200 | 9.1 | 1 | 0 | 2–18 | 119.7 | 41.1 |
Rushing Stats
| Player | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Gainwell (PIT) | 19 | 99 | 5.2 | 2 | 15 |
| Jordan Mason (MIN) | 16 | 57 | 3.6 | 0 | 9 |
| Kaleb Johnson (PIT) | 6 | 22 | 3.7 | 0 | 9 |
| Carson Wentz (MIN) | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Aaron Rodgers (PIT) | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 0 | 10 |
| Connor Heyward (PIT) | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
| Zavier Scott (MIN) | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 |
| MIN Team | 20 | 70 | 3.5 | 0 | 11 |
| PIT Team | 29 | 131 | 4.5 | 2 | 15 |
Receiving Stats
| Player | REC | TGT | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson (MIN) | 10 | 11 | 126 | 12.6 | 0 | 29 | 33 |
| DK Metcalf (PIT) | 5 | 5 | 126 | 25.2 | 1 | 80 | 91 |
| Jordan Addison (MIN) | 4 | 8 | 114 | 28.5 | 0 | 81 | 57 |
| Zavier Scott (MIN) | 6 | 8 | 43 | 7.2 | 1 | 16 | 17 |
| T.J. Hockenson (MIN) | 4 | 5 | 39 | 9.8 | 0 | 14 | 20 |
| Kenneth Gainwell (PIT) | 6 | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 0 | 8 | 29 |
| Darnell Washington (PIT) | 3 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 0 | 8 | 11 |
| Jordan Mason (MIN) | 3 | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 13 | 26 |
| Calvin Austin III (PIT) | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 8 | 10 |
| Adam Thielen (MIN) | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Jonnu Smith (PIT) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Jalen Nailor (MIN) | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Josh Oliver (MIN) | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Ben Skowronek (PIT) | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Scotty Miller (PIT) | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| Kaleb Johnson (PIT) | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | — | — |
| MIN Team | 30 | 42 | 350 | 11.7 | 2 | 81 | — |
| PIT Team | 18 | 22 | 200 | 11.1 | 1 | 80 | — |
Defensive Stats
| Player | TOT | SOLO | SACKS | TFL | QB HTS | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payton Wilson (PIT) | 13 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Patrick Queen (PIT) | 11 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson (MIN) | 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Metellus (MIN) | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Pace Jr. (MIN) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott (PIT) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| T.J. Watt (PIT) | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Darius Slay (PIT) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig (PIT) | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Javon Hargrave (MIN) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Allen (MIN) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr. (MIN) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keeanu Benton (PIT) | 4 | 1 | 1.5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Williams (MIN) | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner (MIN) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond (MIN) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Juan Thornhill (PIT) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Harrison Smith (MIN) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chuck Clark (PIT) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandin Echols (PIT) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PIT Team | 75 | 47 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 8 |
| MIN Team | 69 | 37 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Interceptions
| Player | INT | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|
| T.J. Watt (PIT) | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott (PIT) | 1 | –4 | 0 |
Special Teams
Kicking
| Player | FG | PCT | LONG | XP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard (MIN) | 2/2 | 100% | 41 | 1/1 | 7 |
| Chris Boswell (PIT) | 1/2 | 50% | 33 | 3/3 | 6 |
Boswell’s 30-yard attempt in the second quarter was blocked by Isaiah Rodgers.
Punting
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TB | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Wright (MIN) | 3 | 136 | 45.3 | 49 | 0 | 0 |
| Corliss Waitman (PIT) | 3 | 146 | 48.7 | 54 | 1 | 0 |
Kick Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tai Felton (MIN) | 3 | 77 | 25.7 | 28 | 0 |
| Myles Price (MIN) | 2 | 47 | 23.5 | 28 | 0 |
| Trey Sermon (PIT) | 2 | 51 | 25.5 | 26 | 0 |
| Kenneth Gainwell (PIT) | 2 | 49 | 24.5 | 25 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Player | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Price (MIN) | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 13 | 0 |
| Calvin Austin III (PIT) | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 12 | 0 |
Scoring Summary
| Quarter | Time | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 6:24 | Will Reichard 41-yd FG | MIN 3–0 |
| Q1 | 0:55 | Kenneth Gainwell 1-yd rush (Boswell kick) | MIN 3–7 |
| Q2 | 12:16 | DK Metcalf 80-yd pass from Rodgers (Boswell kick) | MIN 3–14 |
| Q2 | 0:12 | Will Reichard 28-yd FG | MIN 6–14 |
| Q3 | 2:23 | Kenneth Gainwell 4-yd rush (Boswell kick) | MIN 6–21 |
| Q4 | 11:18 | Chris Boswell 33-yd FG | MIN 6–24 |
| Q4 | 7:50 | Zavier Scott 16-yd pass from Wentz (Wentz to Nailor, 2-pt conv.) | MIN 14–24 |
| Q4 | 2:08 | Jalen Nailor 2-yd pass from Wentz (Reichard kick) | MIN 21–24 |
Full Team Stats
| Category | Minnesota | Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 372 | 313 |
| Passing Yards | 302 | 182 |
| Rushing Yards | 70 | 131 |
| Total Plays | 72 | 53 |
| Yards per Play | 5.2 | 5.9 |
| 1st Downs | 23 | 19 |
| Passing 1st Downs | 15 | 7 |
| Rushing 1st Downs | 6 | 8 |
| Penalty 1st Downs | 1 | 2 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 4/14 (29%) | 4/10 (40%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 2/3 (67%) | 0/1 (0%) |
| Red Zone (TD–FG–Att) | 2–1–4 | 2–1–5 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Penalties | 8 for 82 yds | 5 for 35 yds |
| Time of Possession | 33:34 | 26:26 |
| Avg EPA per Play | –0.009 | +0.137 |
| Avg Depth of Target | 9.1 yds | 3.7 yds |
| Total Pressures Allowed | 26 | 9 |
| Missed Tackles (PFF) | 2 (run) | 6 (run) |
| Explosive Passes (15+ yds) | 7 | 2 |
| Deep Attempts (20+ yds) | 7 | 0 |
Why Minnesota Lost a Game It Statistically Should Have Won
The Vikings outgained Pittsburgh by 59 yards. They controlled the ball for more than seven additional minutes. They converted two of three fourth-down attempts to Pittsburgh’s zero of one. By most conventional measures, this was Minnesota’s game.
Two turnovers ended that argument.
Watt’s tipped interception in the third quarter did not just end a drive — it handed Pittsburgh the ball at the Minnesota 35 and led directly to Gainwell’s second touchdown. DeShon Elliott’s interception in the same quarter was the other. Both came from a Pittsburgh defensive front that generated 26 total pressures on Wentz, forcing throws into traffic that a clean pocket rarely produces.
Gainwell’s performance also deserves separate recognition. He forced six missed tackles on rushing attempts alone, averaging 1.3 yards before contact and 3.2 after. For a back who entered Week 4 largely under the radar, his 134 combined yards and two touchdowns were the offensive foundation Pittsburgh built the entire win on.
For Rodgers, who had declared some Irish heritage during the week, Sunday at Croke Park marked his first international regular-season win. He completed 82% of his passes, averaged 9.1 yards per attempt, and did not turn the ball over once.
“I know he’s [Dan Rooney] smiling at us today. I’ve been thinking about him a lot on a personal level.” — Mike Tomlin
The Steelers dedicated the game to the memory of Dan Rooney, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012. The 74,512 in attendance at Croke Park were, by most accounts, the most Pittsburgh-aligned crowd any NFL team has played in front of outside North America.
Minnesota outgained Pittsburgh, out-targeted Pittsburgh, and threw seven explosive passes of 15 or more yards to Pittsburgh’s two. They also left the field with a loss, a penalty deficit of 47 yards, and a third-down conversion rate that ranks among the worst any 2025 Vikings offense has posted.
The scoreboard does not grade on effort.
