Mike Tomlin Keeps Steelers’ Ireland Travel Schedule Under Wraps to Maintain Focus

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots in Week 3 to improve their record to 2-1. The team must now move on quickly as they will travel across the Atlantic Ocean to Dublin, Ireland for an international contest against the Minnesota Vikings.

The next week is a whirlwind of a schedule for the Steelers, but the players didn't learn about the exact details after their most recent victory. SI’s Albert Breer spoke with Pittsburgh edge rusher T.J. Watt following their win over the Patriots. Watt explained that his head coach,

Mike Tomlin, hid the team's travel schedule for the upcoming days until after their game against the Patriots. Watt told Breer that Tomlin did this to keep focus on Week 3 and the task at hand.

"In an effort to keep the players’ focus where it needed to be, Watt said that Tomlin kept the schedule for the trip away from them the past couple of weeks," Breer wrote

. "As such, the 31-year-old joked that his goal now is “first and foremost, learning the schedule.” After that, there’ll be plenty left to address."

It seems that method and reasoning worked out for Tomlin and the Steelers. The team won a critical game against the Patriots. It was a game they easily could have overlooked in anticipation of the Vikings and their international matchup.

The problem, however, is now the team has a stressful week of travel ahead. The team will fly out of Pittsburgh later this week, meaning they will have very little time to acclimate before taking on the Vikings. For many of the players on the Steelers roster, this is the first time they will head overseas for an NFL game.

The last time the Steelers played internationally was in 2013 against, surprise, the Minnesota Vikings. The two teams met in the United Kingdom, and the Vikings smashed the Steelers. Only one current player on the Pittsburgh roster played in that game, and that’s defensive tackle and captain Cam Heyward.

The team hopes to avenge that 2013 loss this coming week in Dublin. The Steelers enter with a 2-1 record after they edged out the Patriots. The Vikings also enter 2-1, fresh off an absolute stomping of the Steelers’ rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite losing their starting quarterback, the Vikings have a defense that's recorded multiple sacks in every game so far. They present another intense challenge for the Steelers as they try to continue building in 2025.

Alex Ovechkin and Protas brothers go wild after Ovi Jr scores goal from his office in youth hockey game

Alex Ovechkin celebrates his teammates’ goals as much as his own — and that also extends to his sons, too.

Sunday, Ovi attended Sergei Ovechkin’s youth hockey game at MedStar Capitals Iceplex and brought several friends along to serve as part of the cheering committee: Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Protas

In an adorable clip posted by Nastya Ovechkina on Instagram Story, Sergei scored after being camped out in his mini office, sending the three Capitals on the bench into a huge celebration.

All three players clapped and raised their arms in celebration — all for Ovi Jr.

Sergei could be seen wearing his father’s signature yellow laces in his skates. He was also not wearing no. 8 — he was rocking no. 18, potentially a nod to the fact he’s next in line in the Ovechkin lineage or a reminder to Washington Capitals scouts at what age they can select him in the NHL Draft.

The goal video comes a little over a week after the Ovechkins went viral for playing some hallway hockey inside their house with Rasmus Sandin.

While the Capitals captain has been active off the ice — including releasing a second cereal — he hasn’t been on it much to start training camp. Sunday, Ovechkin missed his fourth consecutive on-ice session due to a lower-body injury. He did not travel with the team to Boston for their first preseason game against the Bruins.

He did make his presence known at the team’s practice rink, though, banging on the glass to say hi to the media.

Alex Ovechkin remains out with lower-body injury

The Capitals are set to kick off their preseason against the Boston Bruins on Sunday, but the team’s non-game group got in some competition of their own back home. Players not participating in the preseason tilt spent Sunday morning at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, hitting the ice for an intrasquad scrimmage between Team Red and Team White.

Captain Alex Ovechkin did not play in the scrimmage and remains out with a lower-body injury, though he was present at the team’s facilities Sunday morning. After leaving the first skate of training camp early on Thursday, Ovechkin has yet to return to the ice, with head coach Spencer Carbery labelling the injury day-to-day.

Martin Fehervary and Justin Sourdif, who have both been participating in camp in no-contact jerseys, also did not dress for the scrimmage.

Team Red put up a commanding six goals in regulation, thanks in large part to Aliaksei and Ilya Protas. The brothers, who spent the summer training together, each scored twice on Sunday.

The game included five-on-five, four-on-four, and three-on-three play, though no time was spent on special teams. Instead, infractions resulted in a penalty shot, which Dylan Strome converted on in the third period.

A shootout followed the end of regulation, leading to a final score of 7-5. Players skated laps — with extra work for the losing Team White — and stretched to end the session.

Washington’s game group will head to Boston Sunday evening for the first contest of the preseason, which will include Sonny Milano’s first game back since November 2024 and the preseason debut of Lynden Lakovic, who has been a standout in the early days of camp. Puck drop is set for 5 pm at TD Garden.

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