What Minnesota Vikings Fans Need to Know Ahead of Week 4 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
It was a refreshing Week 3 for Minnesota Vikings fans as the purple squad came through with a blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 48-10 win improved the Vikings to 2-1 on the season, and more importantly, moved them into a tie for first place in the NFC North along with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Now, the Vikings head across the pond for back-to-back weeks before their bye week.
The first of those two games will be the first NFL game ever played in Dublin as the Vikings are “on the road” against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here is a look at what Vikings fans need to know ahead of that Irish matchup.
How to Watch the Minnesota Vikings This Week
The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off bright and early on Sunday at 8:30 a.m. at Croke Park. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network and can be streamed via NFL+ in the NFL app as well as NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV.
Steelers vs. Vikings History
The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers have met a grand total of 19 times throughout the histories of the two franchises. The most notable matchup between the two teams was Super Bowl IX when the Steelers defeated the Vikings by a score of 16-6.
It was an ugly game in which the Vikings’ only points came on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, and Fran Tarkenton threw three interceptions.
Since then, though, the Vikings have taken the all-time series lead against the Steelers with a record of 10-9 against the Steel City, and they won the most recent matchup between the two teams in 2021 with a 36-28 win at home. Dalvin Cook rushed for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns in that win, so maybe a similar standout performance is in store for Jordan Mason this time around?
Steelers Spotlight Player: OLB Nick Herbig
The Steelers have been known for their stifling throughout the history of their franchise, but it got off to a bad start in 2025. However, to Vikings fans’ chagrin, it seemed to turn itself around in Week 3 against the New England Patriots by forcing five turnovers and allowing just 14 points.
A big reason for that turnaround was their third-year linebacker, Nick Herbig, who they drafted in the fourth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. Herbig missed the season opener due to a hamstring injury, but he has contributed in all aspects since his Week 2 return.
Despite missing a third of the season so far, he ranks tied for sixth in QB pressures with 12, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. That equals the totals of Josh Sweat, his teammate T.J. Watt, and Hasson Reddick despite playing fewer pass rush snaps than all of them.
We all know the Vikings are going to have to keep Watt out of the backfield in order to win on Sunday, but they will have to pay equally high attention to his running mate.
Vikings Spotlight Player: WR Jordan Addison
The Vikings are getting the WR2 back just in the nick of time as they have some matchups coming up against teams that have relied on stout defensive performances to be competitive. Addison has, of course, missed the first three games of the season because of the suspension that the NFL handed him before the year began.
Despite their stout pass rushers up front, the Steelers have been a bit vulnerable in the secondary, giving up the seventh-most passing yards (740) and fifth-most net pass yards per attempt (7.4) in the NFL through three weeks.
Addison may have some rust to knock off after sitting out for nearly a month, but he did get the full training camp experience. Now, he hopes to build off a 2024 campaign during which he caught 63 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s a great deep threat (averaged 13.4 air yards per target last year, 12th-highest among qualified receivers, per Next Gen Stats), and his presence will give Carson Wentz a chance to uncork a few passes downfield.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Next Gen Stats, The Football Database, and Pro Football Reference.
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