The Pittsburgh Steelers nearly squandered an 18-point lead against the Minnesota Vikings. After the tense finish in Ireland, HC Mike Tomlin sent a subtle message to Aaron Rodgers about the narrow win.
Pittsburgh secured a significant Week 4 victory over the Vikings. The Steelers dominated for most of the game but allowed Minnesota to mount a late comeback in the final quarter.
With less than eight minutes left, Pittsburgh led 24-6 and had the chance to extend the lead to 27-6. However, a decision by Aaron Rodgers prevented this and gave the Vikings new life in the game.
Message to Rodgers? Mike Tomlin reacts to Steelers’ narrow win vs. Vikings
The Vikings nearly erased an 18-point deficit in what could have been a massive comeback. Rodgers’ choice late in the game clearly made Tomlin uneasy.
Inside Minnesota’s five-yard line, Pittsburgh ran three plays but failed to score a touchdown. Many expected a field goal attempt, but Rodgers chose to stay on the field and try for more points. He didn’t succeed, turning the ball over to Minnesota.
The NFC club then scored 15 unanswered points and almost tied the game, but Pittsburgh’s defense held firm to secure the victory.
After the game, Tomlin addressed the media and sent a subtle message to Rodgers, noting that the team could have closed out the win with less drama.
“It was a great trip, obviously,” Tomlin said about their trip to Dublin on the post-game press conference. “Component of being a great trip was doing the job and thankfully we were able to do that. We made it a little bit more entertaining than maybe it should have been, but the Vikings had a lot to do with that. That group has a lot of fight.”
Who will the Steelers face in Week 5?
Following their trip to Ireland, the Steelers return home for their first AFC North matchup of the season against the Cleveland Browns.
Pittsburgh is favored to win, but with Cleveland’s improved defense, the Steelers must protect Rodgers against elite pass rusher Myles Garrett to secure the victory.