Come on, you knew it could never be that easy.
Raise your hand if you thought, that when the Pittsburgh Steelers were up 24-6 in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Vikings, that this game would go quietly into the Ireland night.
Put your hand down, you’re lying.
That’s just not how the Steelers play football. If there isn’t a fourth quarter heart attack, it’s not truly a Steelers game. Apparently, that rule extends across international borders. But, like usual, the Steelers found a way to pull the win out, nabbing a 24-21 win in front of the fans at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland.
I had some early morning thoughts, so let’s get into it.
1: This Should Have Never Been A One-Score Game
Mike Tomlin is now 25-11 in one-score games since Ben Roethlisberger retired. It’s an incredible stat and a remarkable achievement, especially when you consider some of the quarterbacks that he’s had to work with.
It’s a stat that Tomlin’s haters and detractors have a very hard time arguing against, and while I do not consider myself a Tomlin hater, allow me to present the other side of the one-score game argument.
This win over Minnesota will count in that record, but adding another win to that record will exclude a lot of context from this game against the Vikings. The Steelers led this game 24-6 with 11:18 to go in the fourth quarter. An 18-point lead at that point in the game should never be trimmed all the way down to three points.
But Minnesota struck back a few minutes later, converting on the two-point try to bring it within ten. Later in the fourth, after the Steelers tried to go for it on a 4th and goal from the three and didn’t get it (more on that later), the Vikings marched 99 yards towards a second fourth quarter touchdown.
That drive included a busted coverage that allowed Jordan Addison to make it 81 yards nearly uncontested, until Payton Wilson did his best DK Metcalf impression to trip him up at the one-yard line. But that game ended up being way closer than it should have.
A one-score game win? Sure. A game that should have been one score? Absolutely not.
2: Tomlin’s Iffy Play Calling
In keeping with the theme of Tomlin decisions in this one, I disagreed with two pretty important decisions that Tomlin made late in the game, and I don’t think I’m alone.
The first was a decision to go for it on 4th and goal from the three-yard line, with the Steelers hoping
I liked that Aaron Rodgers and the offense seemed to win that conversation, but I hated the execution of said decision. The Steelers gave the ball to Kenneth Gainwell on the ground, but he could only get two yards down to the one before he was stopped, turning the ball over on downs.
I like Gainwell, but I think the team’s best bet in a situation like that is keeping the ball in the hands of Rodgers and seeing what he can do with it. But to be honest, I can tolerate that one way more than this next decision.
With the Steelers up three and facing a 3rd and one on Minnesota’s 40-yard line, Pittsburgh ran it with Gainwell for no gain, setting up a fourth down scenario with potentially the game on the line.
For all Tomlin talks about not living in his fears, he did the exact opposite with this. He took the delay of game penalty and opted to punt, never seriously lining his team up with the intention of going for it. The broadcast couldn’t believe it, and neither could I.
It was complete malpractice, and somehow in a game that was 24-6 with 11:18 to go, the Steelers still had to rely on their defense for one final stop. They bailed Tomlin out big time.
Just because in the end it worked, doesn’t mean it was the right decision to make.
3: Kenneth Gainwell Gains Well
I know that I just referenced a moment where Gainwell came up short, but I really liked overall how he performed today, stepping up big for the injured Jaylen Warren.
The former Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champ took 19 carries for 99 yards, an average of 5.2, and two touchdowns. It was Gainwell’s first career multi-touchdown game, running two scores in.
He also had a big day in the passing game. Like Warren, the Steelers used Gainwell as an option for Rodgers, who went to him six times for 35 additional yards.
Luckily for the Steelers, they have their bye week coming up as they return from Dublin, so it gives someone like Warren an extra week to rest and recover. But in the event that his injury lingers, or something else comes up, I think Gainwell’s performance in this one makes you feel at least a little bit about comfortable about him taking over the starting role if needed.
Gainwell was actually out-rushing Warren through the first three weeks, albeit in a much smaller sample size. Coming into Sunday, Gainwell averaged 3.4 on 16 carries, while Warren averaged 3.1 in 43 carries.
4: A Confidence Boost For Kaleb Johnson
Even though Gainwell got the bulk of the rushing workload on Sunday, Johnson got his first real NFL action during the team’s trip overseas. Coming into this game, the rookie running back had two total carries for -1 yards.
Then, of course, there was the kickoff blunder vs Seattle that saw him not take a snap last week in New England. But in a small sample size, he rushed the ball six times for 22 yards, averaging 3.7 yards a carry.
Perhaps for a player like him, who was taken in the third round of spring’s draft, one would hope that he would be looked at as the next man up with Warren out. But, Gainwell’s rise over the first three weeks combined with Johnson’s demise left him as the backup, even in a Warren-less offense.
The Steelers trusted Johnsin and his ball security abilities big time late in this one, and he rewarded them by continuing to churn out some yards and help tick time off the clock.
It was not a big game by any means, production wise. But from a confidence building standpoint, it’s massive for Johnson and his mental state.
5: Pat Freiermuth’s Disappearance
Freiermuth had a pretty quiet day today. He didn’t get a single pass thrown his way, and his only real moment of note involved him not properly blocking on an eventual blocked Chris Boswell kick.
It was the latest in a string of uninspiring games that the tight end has played to open the year. Even in an offense that involves tight ends heavily, Freiermuth hasn’t feasted on that opportunity.
He’s just been nearly a complete non-factor in this offense through four weeks. He has seven catches on ten targets for 65 yards, and no touchdowns. Just for fun, here’s how that stacks up with his first four years in the NFL.
- 2021: Nine catches (11 targets), 93 yards, one touchdown
- 2022: 18 catches (30 targets), 223 yards, one touchdown
- 2023: Eight catches (13 targets), 53 yards, two touchdowns
- 2024: 17 catches (20 targets), 156yards, one touchdown
The lack of production has also apparently led to a severe drop in snap counts. Freiermuth recorded just 15 snaps on offense, the lowest offensive snap count of his NFL career.
It’s an odd development for sure, something to keep an eye on coming out of the bye.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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