Kevin O'Connell Blames Play Clock Issue for Vikings' Final Drive Struggles in Loss to Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to win its first international regular season game in franchise history on Sunday as the team took down the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland. The environment seemed electric and the game meant a lot to Pittsburgh and the Rooney family. It was a meaningful victory for the organization, but it was also an important win in the grand scheme of things as Pittsburgh is now 3-1 on the season heading into its bye week.
Pittsburgh was able to take down Minnesota by a score of 24-21, but they were were dominant at certain parts of the contest. The Steelers had a 21-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, and things got close in the final 15 minutes of the game. Minnesota was able to score two touchdowns, which included a two-point conversion. The Vikings had the ball in the final minute to try to drive down the field and potentially kick a game-tying field goal, but the group wound up turning the ball over on downs.
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell spoke to the media after the game, and he was asked about the final drive of the contest for the Vikings. This drive was made harder after a delay of game penalty made it fourth and 17 for Minnesota.
"The energy in the building was fantastic," O'Connell said. "You know, I think it was probably a combination of, you know, the energy there on the last drive and, you know, just one of those negatives being the quarterback facing a clock that is off. That's not an excuse, we knew about it. But that is a unique challenge when it comes to most, if not all, NFL games. You're normally staring right down the defense at that play clock to be able to speed things up and get the ball snapped."
O'Connell was asked if the noise in the stadium, which was mostly dominated by Pittsburgh fans, affected things on Minnesota's final drive. He mentioned the noise while also stating that quarterback Carson Wentz did not have a play clock to look at at the end of the field he was facing. This certainly contributed to the delay of game penalty that made it fourth and 17 rather than fourth and 12.
The Steelers were able to break up the pass on fourth and 17 and then kneel the clock out to end the game. Had Wentz been facing a play clock, which every other NFL stadium has, then maybe the delay of game penalty could have been avoided and the Vikings would have had a better chance at extending the game. Wentz was confused in the moment as the NFL's coach-to-player communication system cuts out with 15 seconds on the play clock, so the quarterback was lost on how to handle the situation. This put Pittsburgh in a strong spot to end the game, although it was a longshot that the Vikings would have been able to convert on fourth and 12 anyways.
It is also important to note that O'Connell knew about this factor before playing in this stadium, and he had every chance to prepare his team for it. Minnesota even had a walk through in Croke Park
Steelers In Firm Control In The AFC North After Win Over Vikings
Pittsburgh is currently in first place in the AFC North after its win over Minnesota. The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns are both at the bottom of the division with a record of 1-3, while the Cincinnati Bengals are 2-1 and awaiting to play on Monday night. The season has started great for Pittsburgh in regards to the division, and hopefully it continues this way as the Ravens will likely be a problem to deal with later in the year.
Ranking 10 greatest Tampa Bay Lightning of all time
With three Stanley Cup Championships in their short history, the Lightning have a lot of great players to choose from for their Top 10 list.
Greatest Lightning player ever: Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos takes the top spot as the greatest player to ever suit up for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is the only player with over 400 goals, notching 555 and is first in points in franchise history and second in games played. Stamkos came back from injury to score a huge goal in the 2020 Cup Final and came back to score eight goals in the 2021 playoffs.
He was a two-time All-Star and a two-time Rocket Richard Award winner for most goals scored. All of those accolades came before he turned 22. Injuries hampered the middle part of his career, but he had his best season in years in 2023-24. He signed with the Nashville Predators in the 2024 offseason, ending a 16-year run in Tampa Bay.
#2: Nikita Kucherov
The Lightning would not have the success they've had in recent years if not for Nikita Kucherov. He has been the offensive engine for his entire career and put up another phenomenal season in 2023-24. Kucherov reached 100 assists and won the Art Ross Trophy for most points in the league with 144. He followed up in 2024-25 with another terrific season with a league-leading 84 assists and 121 points.
Kucherov is a six-time All-Star, the 2019 Hart Trophy winner as the league's MVP, a three-time Ross winner, first in franchise history in assists and second in goals and points. He will be an extremely important piece of the Lightning team looking to return to glory in 2025-26.
#3: Andrei Vasilevskiy
No dynasty is complete without a goaltender. The Lightning had the best in the league during their run. Andrei Vasilevskiy has won 67 playoff games, including 48 during the three years they went to consecutive Cup Finals. He also led the league in regular-season wins for five consecutive seasons beginning in 2017.
Vasilevskiy has won the Vezina Trophy for best goaltender just once but was a finalist four other times. He is a three-time All-Star and won the Conn Smythe Trophy for Playoff MVP in 2021. He remains the starter in Tampa Bay at 31 years old and is signed through the 2028 season.
#4: Martin St. Louis
The first retired player on our list, Martin St. Louis was a key part of the Lightning's first championship in 2004. He won the franchise's first Hart Trophy that season with a league-leading 56 assists and 94 points. St. Louis then put up a team-high 15 assists in the playoffs that year and helped defeat his former team, the Calgary Flames, in the Cup Final.
He won one MVP, two Ross trophies, and three Lady Byng awards for most gentlemanly player. He was also named a postseason All-Star five times. St. Louis is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has his No. 26 retired by the Lightning, and is the current head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
#5: Victor Hedman
The Lightning went through a rough stretch between their 2004 championship and 2015 Cup Final appearance. In that time, they drafted Steven Stamkos No. 1 overall and Victor Hedman No. 2 overall. The 2009 draft was a franchise-changing day for the Lightning, who grabbed the greatest defenseman in franchise history after the Islander selected John Tavares. Without Hedman, the dynasty is not the same.
He overtook Stamkos for most games played in franchise history in 2024-25. Hedman is a seven-time All-Star, a Norris Trophy winner for best defenseman, and the 2020 Conn Smythe winner. He re-signed with the Lightning in 2024 to spend four more years in Tampa Bay.
#6: Vincent Lecavalier
Back to the 2004 run, Vincent Lecavalier was another key piece to that team. He scored 32 goals in the regular season and added nine more in the playoffs to secure the first championship in franchise history. He spent the first 14 years of his career with Tampa Bay, playing in over 1000 games and piled up 874 points.
Lecavalier was a second-team All-Star just once. In 2006-07, he scored the most goals in the league and won the Art Ross but was clipped by Sidney Crosby for the top All-Star position and the Hart Trophy. His number four is retired by the Lightning.
#7: Brayden Point
When you're on the same team as Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and Andrei Vasilevskiy, it's pretty easy to be overshadowed. That has happened to Brayden Point despite his torrid offensive numbers over the past six years. He scored 51 goals in 2022-23 and 46 the next year but did not receive MVP votes in either season. He finished with 42 goals in 2024-25.
His introduction to the hockey world was in the 2020 playoffs when he led the tournament with 14 goals. He missed two games due to injury in the Conference Finals, and they were the only two games the Islanders won. He made a great case for the Conn Smythe Trophy but eventually lost to Hedman. Point is signed in Tampa through 2030.
#8: Brad Richards
The third member of the 2004 team on this list is Brad Richards. The Conn Smythe winner from that run, Richards spent seven seasons in Tampa Bay and sits in the top ten in goals, assists, and points. He racked up a league-high 26 points during the 2004 Cup run including seven game-winning goals and seven powerplay goals.
He won the Lady Byng trophy in 2004 and was on the All-Rookie team in 2001. Richards bounced around after he left the Lightning and ended up with the Chicago Blackhawks. He won his second Cup with them in 2015, beating the Lightning to do so.
#9: Alex Killorn
Alex Killorn is not the superstar that his Lighting teammates are, but he was a key part of all four conference titles and both championships. He sits in the Top 10 for games played, goals, assists, and points in franchise history and scored eight goals on the way to the 2021 championship.
Killorn never won a major award and will likely not have his number retired by the Lightning. He still was an important part of those teams before he left for the Anaheim Ducks in the 2023 offseason.
#10: Ben Bishop
The goalie before Vasilevskiy, Ben Bishop can often get overshadowed in Lightning history. He was the goalie when they went to the Cup Final in 2015 before losing his job to the young Vasilevskiy. Bishop posted a .921 save percentage in 25 games during that Cup run and would have had a great chance at the Conn Smythe had the Lightning won.
The following season, he put up his best season with the Lightning. He was a second-team All-Star, placed second in Vezina voting, and put up a league-low 2.06 goals against average. While he will not go down as the greatest goalie in team history, he made quite an impact during his time in Tampa Bay.
