From the beginning, it was an unprecedented venture, and one the league was eyeing very closely. Afterall, the Vikings rank near the top of the league in organizational happiness, since Kevin O’Connell arrived as head coach. If any team could make the multi-week trip a success for both themselves and the league, it was Minnesota.

When news broke initially that the MN Vikings would be playing back-to-back games in Europe, O’Connell and others inside TCO Performance Center played it off as a competitive advantage, and actively pushed that narrative both publicly and through NFL insiders.

Instead of playing away games in Pittsburgh and Cleveland, the Vikings would play in what they expected to be mostly neutral sites. As far as how to handle an extended international football vacation, everyone pointed to Paul Martin and the team’s operations staff as the ideal men and women for the job.

Minnesota Vikings bit off more of Europe they could chew

In theory, all that sounded great and it even made sense. But in practice, the Minnesota Vikings found out pretty quickly that this trip would be far from normal and increasingly taxing on everyone involved, the longer the team remained outside the USA.

From the sounds of it, this is NOT something the team would ever do again, nor is it an adventure that they’d recommend the NFL lay at the feet of any other organization. Let’s start with Jonathan Greenard, immediately after the Vikings’ victory last Sunday in London.

Reporter: “In the future if you’ve got to play [overseas] twice in a season, would you prefer it to be back to back [again]?”

Greenard: “Yeah, I would be the first to say that I would not like to do back to back. But that’s not in my control. Ultimately, someone had to do it. It was us. But at the end of the day, we made the best of it.”

But if you thought Greenard was the only homesick Viking in Europe last week, you would be very, very wrong. Jordan Addison bailed on the team facilities while the Vikings were in London, failing to return in time for a walkthrough.

Location of Vikings hotel in London was far from ideal

That resulted in the 3rd year wide receiver being benched for the first quarter of Sunday’s game against Cleveland. Obviously, missing a team walkthrough unannounced is unacceptable under just about any conditions, but given the Minnesota Vikings setup for game two of their European swing didn’t make coming and going very easy.

Instead of being located near Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or anywhere near the London area, the Vikings were posting up at Hanbury Manor on the rural English countryside, about 1.5 hours away from London, either by public transport (which included multiple connecting trains and buses) or automobile.

The trip got so long that Kevin O’Connell was counting down “the sleeps” until the team went home, first mentioning the countdown publicly on Friday at his press conference when he noted early that there were only two sleeps remaining until their flight back to the states.

After the victory vs Cleveland in London, he opened his postgame locker room speech with, “ZERO SLEEPS LEFT” and the entire locker room roared.

Nobody flinched.#Skol pic.twitter.com/0z8PFcBEVM

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 5, 2025

“Fellas, make no mistake about it. I know how long this trip has been. I know how long it’s been. Let me just give you some good news, by the way… ZERO SLEEPS!!”

In the end, one thing is clear. The Minnesota Vikings were regretting their two-week trip to Europe shortly after it started. You can blame it on homesickness, amenities or injuries… but at the end of the day, planning a work trip for 200 people is going to be taxing.

And while the game isn’t going to stop growing internationally anytime soon, I think it is pretty clear that, if NFL teams had it their way, playing games outside of the United States would cease immediately.

Receiver Justin Jefferson, the team’s emotional heartbeat, tried his best. He said Sunday that “it definitely was a great trip, even though it was very long and a little tiring.” Soft-spoken safety Theo Jackson bluntly said “it sucks” to go so long without seeing his family, and trying to navigate a six-hour time difference for video calls.

“They understand it,” Jackson said, “but it still doesn’t take away how much it sucks.”

ESPN

“It was tough,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “You’re not eating the way you normally eat. You’re not getting the recovery you normally get. You’re not seeing the people you normally see. You’re not getting the ‘juice’ you usually get. There’s so many things that go into it. But we talked about it all week. There’s so many excuses. You can point to one. You can point to two. You can point to 20. At the end of the day, it’s like, ‘Let’s grind. Let’s not seek comfort.'”

Brian Flores (via ESPN)

And going into their bye, with 12 games remaining on their 2025 regular season schedule, the Vikings have more wins (3) than they do losses (2). Still, nothing came easy for the “away” team on Sunday.

In fact, there were moments in the second half on Sunday where it felt like the football gods had something against the MN Vikings, a feeling that hit its peak early on in the 4th quarter, when Will Reichard missed a 51 yard field goal WILD right that would have tied the game at 17.

Here was how Reichard's "miss" looked in real time pic.twitter.com/OXMlOcWEQ3

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

Or did he. Shortly after the game moved on out in London, social media detectives quickly started breaking down the film in slow motion, where it appeared to show that Reichard’s kick hit a cable hanging over the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is why the ball took a sudden turn to the right.

Will Reichard’s kick blocked by stadium cable

There weren’t a lot of clear shots on the internet and sources tell Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) that NFL’s replay assist “did not see a view that showed #Vikings kicker Will Reichard’s fourth-quarter field goal hitting a wire”. But just to be sure, I took it upon myself to do what the league apparently couldn’t.

I slowed down the tape in high definition, where I quickly realized that beyond the cable itself, bad camerawork was Will Reichard’s worst enemy on this kick. When the ball goes up, it takes off above the camera shot. But when slowed way down, you can see the ball hit the cable immediately when it comes back into the frame.

Took a look back at the Will Reichard "missed" field goal myself (in HD since it's 2025)… and there's no doubt the British cable screwed him. pic.twitter.com/y0VEFVgSg4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

If your eyes aren’t very good and you still aren’t convinced, the cable aggressively swinging back and forth, as the ball magically changes mid-air from end-over-end into a sideways tailspin and its flight path takes a hard turn right.

Without a doubt, that football smoked that cable, and I have little doubt that it would have been comfortably inside the right upright, had that cable not impeded its original path. No matter, the official record will show that this “miss” was the first of Reichard’s season, moving him to 8-for-9 entering the week 7 bye.

Related: Minnesota Vikings WR in Trouble Again?

Back at the NFL replay offices in New York, someone needs a very serious job review on Monday. Had the replay officials there noticed the cable’s interference, like Twitter did, then Will Reichard would have gotten a chance to rekick.

Thankfully, this botched no-call didn’t cost the Minnesota Vikings a victory on Sunday. But in a game as close as this one was, it sure as hell could have.

The 2023 No. 23 overall draft pick was not listed on the inactive list, but for the entire first quarter, No. 3 in all white was nowhere to be found. Just before the start of the second quarter, we found out why. Addison was not dealing with a physical ailment.

Minnesota Vikings WR benched to start game vs Browns

Instead, Kevin Seifert (ESPN) reports that his absence at the start of week five was a “coach’s decision”. In other words, Jordan did something that resulted in him being benched for the start of this game. When the 2nd quarter began, Addison was back on the field.

It took until Kevin O’Connell’s postgame press conference for fans and media to find out why Jordan Addison was disciplined Sunday. According to the head coach, Addison missed a Vikings walkthrough this week, leading to his first quarter benching.

Jordan Addison is heading onto the field. So this was a first-quarter benching, due to what the Vikings say was a coach's decision.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 5, 2025

Kevin O’Connell says Jordan Addison missed a walk thru this week. Addison addressed the team about it.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 5, 2025

Jordan Addison may be his own worst enemy

Addison played the MN Vikings full game in Dublin last week, after spending the first three games of the regular season suspended due to a DUI arrest in California two offseasons ago that was eventually pleaded down to a “wet reckless” violation.

In his first game of 2025, against the Steelers, Addison piled up 114 receiving yards on 4 receptions. In his three quarters of play Sunday, he put up another 5 receptions for 41 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

Jonathan Vilma on Carson Wentz's go-ahead TD pass to Jordan Addison: "I can't emphasize enough how good of a throw that was. That is big league! Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes…" #NFL https://t.co/rDEZhojVJo pic.twitter.com/jw1wxBo0Xt

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 5, 2025

One thing is for sure, though, this latest off-field incident isn’t a good look for the former USC and Pitt star, who has accumulated 1941 yards and 20 touchdowns on 142 career receptions.

Jordan Addison could be looking at a massive $100 million contract in the next two offseasons, if he can show the Minnesota Vikings and/or the rest of the league that he can keep his nose out of trouble… something that is proving easier said than done.

For months now, we have known which teams the Vikings will play against next season. For most games, we even knew the “where”. But recently, rumors turned into reports that, not only was Minnesota expected to go overseas for a game outside the USA for the second-straight year… but they were likely to do it twice.

That’s right, one year after flying to the UK for a game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where they earned their eighth-straight international victory over Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, the Vikings woke up this morning expecting to play two games in that same area in 2025.

Minnesota Vikings taking extended European business trip in 2025

Last season, they played in London Week 5. One year later, they’ll play at the exact same location in Week 5 yet again, this time against the Cleveland Browns. The week before, however, they’ll just a 30-minute plane ride away, in Dublin Ireland, where they will play road team vs the Browns’ AFC North rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers (and maybe Aaron Rodgers again?).

Dublin then London! 🇮🇪🇬🇧

The #Vikings will become the first NFL team to play in back-to-back international games in different countries in 2025.https://t.co/DvUUNxFkso pic.twitter.com/1o0005Ma6Q

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 13, 2025

The game against Pittsburgh will be the first game ever played in Ireland. The NFL will take over Croke Park in Dublin for the event. It is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association and has a capacity of 82,300, which is nearly 10,000 more than U.S. Bank Stadium, which holds 73,000 people.

Related: How Many 2025 MN Vikings Draft Picks Will Make the Final 53-Man Roster?

Yes, it’s possible that the Steelers, as the Jets did last year, will have Aaron Rodgers under center for their overseas contest against the Minnesota Vikings. The future Hall of Famer has yet to sign with a team, and Pittsburgh remains his most likely landing spot.

Set your alarm, Dublin. The NFL is coming to town! 💚

Your official 2025 NFL Dublin Game 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/JYMFY6zIPe

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) May 13, 2025

Vikings International Itinerary: Dublin (IE) –> London (UK)

Pittsburgh, theoretically, should be the tougher opponent of these two. But that’s largely because Kevin Stefanski’s Browns currently look like a dumpster fire. They brought back veteran Joe Flacco and drafted rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.

Meanwhile, the most expensive asset in franchise history, Deshaun Watson, is expected to miss most of the season after re-tearing his achilles in October… and they aren’t even mad about it.

So in 2025, the Minnesota Vikings will become the first NFL team ever to play back-to-back games overseas. On its face, that seems like a sizable undertaking on the surface, but in reality, it could be a blessing in disguise for Kevin O’Connell & Co.

Overseas stretch should actually benefit the 2025 MN Vikings

Not only do both the Steelers and Browns look like two teams in complete disarray, but both international contests will also turn two of Minnesota’s road games this season, into neutral site games (where they have completely dominated going all the way back to 1983).

Those who know the history understand that the MN Vikings are probably the greatest overseas NFL team… ever. Not only are they undefeated in four regular season international games, but Minnesota has won all four of its’ exhibition games abroad too.

The Vikings are indeed playing consecutive int'l games: 9/28 in Dublin (vs. Steelers) + 10/5 in London (vs. Browns). They avoid trips to Heinz Field, where they've never won, and to Cleveland (1 win since 1989). They're 4-0 in London. But 10ish days abroad will be tough.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) May 13, 2025

Because they are playing in back-to-back weeks, the Vikings don’t have to make a trip back stateside, between contests, either. Instead, they can settle in early, knowing it’s a long trip. Hell, they’ll pretty much be the Irish/British Vikings by the time week five is done.

It stands to reason that the Minnesota Vikings will get their by week immediately following their extended stay overseas. That would mean another early week six bye, just like in 2024.

Then, as soon as those Irish Vikings vs Pittsburgh Steelers rumors turned into credible reports, an even harder-to-believe scenario bubbled to the surface. Not only were the Minnesota Vikings expected to play week four in Dublin, but there were whispers behind the scenes that they could play two games overseas in the same season.

Rumors:

Vikes play Steelers in Dublin- YAY!!!

Vikes play next game in London- NAY!!!

— Ben Leber (@nacholeber) May 5, 2025

How could something like this even cross the league’s mind? Well, because two of Minnesota’s scheduled AFC North road opponents in 2025 — the Steelers and the Cleveland Browns — both have international home games on their schedule, in close proximity to one another.

Minnesota Vikings 2025 European Double-Header Locked In…

So, when the NFL decided that the Vikings were the best overseas option on the Steelers’ schedule, for their game in Dublin, Ireland… they thought, why not have them hop over the Irish Sea, for another game just 583 KILOMETERS east — one hour plane ride that costs as little as $38 — for another game against the Browns back at Tottenham Hotspur, in London?

As of Friday afternoon, it appears that’s exactly what the NFL has decided to do. Over the last 12-24 hours, the MN Vikings’ 2025 international double-header has become one of the NFL’s worst-kept secrets.

Late Thursday afternoon, Arif Hassan (wideleft.football) tweeted it out as being all but official. On Friday morning, the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling tweeted the same thing. Both matchups will be road games, and thus not affect Minnesota’s home schedule in 2025, unlike their british cameo last season.

Hearing that the Vikings will be playing internationally in back to back weeks:

• at Steelers Week 4 in Dublin at Croke Park
• at Cleveland Week 5 in London at Tottenham

— Arif Hasan, but NFL 🏈 (@ArifHasanNFL) May 8, 2025

From what I’ve heard over the past couple weeks, it appears likely the #Vikings will play back-to-back international games this fall.

They have road games against the Steelers and Browns this year; the Steelers host in Dublin and the Browns are in London. It would be the…

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) May 9, 2025

In its 65 year history, the Minnesota Vikings football team has never lost a game on international soil — a perfect 8-0, (4-0 in the regular season). Now, they’ll get a chance to defend that perfect overseas W/L record, first in Ireland, then back to the UK for their second game at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur stadium, in just as many seasons.

Related: Minnesota Vikings’ Greatest Position of Need – Per Mr. DVOA

As already mentioned at the top of this article, Kevin O’Connell & Co played in the iconic European football stadium last October, against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Giants. That game, as we all know, finished in a 23-17 week five Vikings victory.

Minnesota Vikings inactives vs New York Jets (Week 5)

In their street clothes on the sideline today vs the Jets are (WR) Trishton Jackson, (QB) Brett Rypien* – (CB) Fabian Moreau, (CB) Dwight McGlothern, (DL) Levi Drake Rodriguez, (DL) Jalen Redmond and (T) Walter Rouse.

Today's #Vikings inactives pic.twitter.com/7qVf1VcMXO

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 6, 2024

This is the healthiest team Minnesota has put on the field all season. Let’s hope it stays that way, in a Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After today’s game, the Vikings have their bye week. Following their week 6 bye, Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson could return at any time.

Minnesota Vikings vs New York Jets – Week 5 Preview

• Vikings Activate New/Old Practice Squad Duo for Week 5 vs Jets
• Local Beat Writer Predictions: Jets vs. Vikings
• 4 Stats to Know for New York Jets vs Vikings Matchup in London, Analyzing Impact
• 3 Vikings That Matter vs New York Jets
• 4 Bold Predictions for Minnesota Vikings’ Week 5 Matchup vs Jets

Both clubs are headed in very different directions right now. Minnesota enters NFL games today scoring the fourth-most points per game and it ranks fourth in scoring defense, per ESPN.com. Meanwhile, New York is 2-2 and coming off a brutal 10-9 home loss to the Denver Broncos.

Related: NFL defense rankings, see where the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets land

Ahead of Sunday’s early morning kickoff, let’s dive into the stats you need to know for Sunday’s Jets vs Vikings game in London.

35% – New York Jets’ ESPN pass-rush win rate this season

After losing Bryce Huff to the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Jets recognized they needed another edge rusher to bolster their pass defense. It led to the Haason Reddick trade, but the Pro Bowl edge defender still hasn’t played a snap in New York. With Reddick sitting out regular-season games and Jermaine Johnson (Achilles) lost for the season, New York’s pass rush has been far less effective than it was in 2023.

Related: Stats to Know for Minnesota Golden Gophers vs USC Trojans, Why They Matter

Last season, the Jets had the fourth-highest pressure rate (26.5 percent) and the sixth-highest sack rate (8.4 percent) in the NFL. Heading to Londo, New York ranks 25th in ESPN pass-rush win rate (35 percent). Of the team’s 14 sacks, half of those came against the worst offensive line in the NFL (New England Patriots).

For comparison, Minnesota’s offensive line has a 55% pass-block win rate this season whereas New England is dead last by a wide margin at 40 percent. The Vikings’ offensive line is just 26th in Pro Football Focus‘ Pass Blocking Efficiency (81.1) with the 12th-most pressures (40) allowed.

In comparison, New England has allowed 62 pressures this season and is last with a PFF PBE of 73.0. It all suggests this could be a lot more like the Monday Night Football game in Week 1, when the Jets generated just 9 pressures on 31 pass attempts by Brock Purdy. Of note, the Jets defense has the 11th-lowest blitz rate (22.3% this year.

Related: Minnesota Vikings draft picks 2025, Vikings future draft picks

127.1 – Sam Darnold’s NFL QB rating when not pressured

We first highlighted some stats for the trenches ahead of the Jets vs Vikings game because of what it means for Sam Darnold. He’s playing near an MVP-caliber level this season, which is a credit to both him and the phenomenal supporting cast around him. The Jets’ ability to pressure Darnold and Minnesota’s approach to keeping the pocket clean will have a significant impact on this matchup.

• Sam Darnold stats vs clean pocket (PFF): 127.1 QB rating (1st), 80.6% Adjusted Completion rate (11th), 3.7% Turnover-Worthy Play rate (6th-highest), 4.9% Big-Time Throw rate (5th), 82.6 PFF grade (9th), 10.0 yards per attempt (2nd), 7 passing touchdowns (T-1st), 2 interceptions

Everyone knows how good this Jets’ secondary is and it’s why this could be a lower-scoring game than expected. New York has allowed the lowest net yards per attempt (4.2), the fifth-lowest completion rate (61.1%) and the sixth-lowest average QB rating (78.6) this year.

Related: USC Trojans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers, More Stats to Know

• Sam Darnold stats vs pressure (PFF): 95.7 NFL QB rating (8th), 69.2% Adjusted Completion rate (10th), 4.2% Turnover-Worthy Play rate (10th-highest), 3% Big-Time Throw rate (13th), 59.2 PFF grade (13th), 5.9 yards per attempt (15th), 4 passing touchdowns (1st), 1 interception

When this Jets pass rush can’t get home, that gives Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison time to find space against these cornerbacks. Coverage can only hold up for so long, especially with how well Kevin O’Connell is designing passing concepts this year. While this is the best defense Darnold has faced in 2024 and it is his former team, he could shine if Minnesota keeps a clean pocket.

Also Read: Minnesota Gophers Football Commits 2025

3.7 – Yards Per Carry allowed by the Minnesota Vikings defense

It will come as no surprise that an Aaron Rodgers-led Jets team doesn’t run the football a ton, entering Week 5 with the 12th-lowest rushing rate (40.41 percent) in the NFL. New York also hasn’t been particularly effective on the ground, averaging the sixth-lowest yards per carry average (3.7) in the NFL. That doesn’t bode well for Breece Hall and Braelon Allen against this Vikings defense.

• New York Jets rushing stats: 3.7 yards per carry (27th), 5.5 rushing first downs per game (24th), -0.109 Rush EPA (20th), 39.3% Rushing Success rate (17th)

Related: Bold Predictions for New York Jets vs Minnesota Vikings

• Minnesota Vikings run defense stats: 3.7 yards per carry average (4th-best), 75 rushing yards per game allowed (2nd-best),-0.714 Rush EPA allowed (5th-best), 35.1% Rush Success Rate allowed (7th-best)

The Vikings have allowed just one opponent (San Francisco 49ers) to rush for 100 yards this season and that’s also the only game Minnesota has allowed a rushing touchdown. While there is important context to consider – the Vikings take two-score leads early and faced Devin Singletary (Week 1) and Cam Akers (Week 3) – this has still been one of the best run defenses in the NFL using basic and advanced stats.

Also Read: Best NFL players of all time

75.6 – Aaron Rodgers’ QB rating when pressured

Once the escape artist who navigated pressure like few others in NFL history and slipped out of sacks to launch downfield touchdown strikes, Rodgers isn’t the quarterback he used to be. Through four games, the Jets’ signal-caller ranks 11th in QB rating (75.6) when pressured, just ahead of Daniel Jones. Alarmingly, Rodgers is also tied with Jones, Gardner Minshew and Bo Nix with 0 big-time throws, per PFF, when pressured.

• Minnesota Vikings defense stats: 40.8% blitz rate (2nd in NFL), 34.2% pressure rate (2nd), 14.9% hurry rate (1st), 12.5% QB knockdown rate (6th), 8.8% sack rate (9th)

Just a week ago, we saw this same Vikings defense generate 13 pressures (fifth-most in Week 4) against a good Packers offensive line. While Jordan Love was playing on an MCL tear, Rodgers is now 40 years old and looks like a quarterback a year removed from a torn Achilles. Pressure on Rodgers will be critical, especially with him not being on the same page as the Jets’ receiving corps right now.

#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is off the injury report and will play Sunday in London against the Saints. The Vikings have listed OLB Za'Darius Smith as questionable with a knee injury and CB Andrew Booth Jr. as doubtful with quad injury.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 30, 2022

This is good news for a Minnesota team that finally found a way to establish the run game last week vs the Lions. Both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison kept the Vikings in that game for three quarters. Then, Kirk Cousins was able to dagger them in the 4th quarter.

On the season, Cook has amassed 203 yards and one touchdown (42 carries). His 4.7 Y/C average is the same as what he finished with in 2021 (1,159 yards, 6 TD, 249 CAR). On Sunday, New Orleans will go without Michael Thomas and, likely, Jameis Winston.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

That means, the starting quarterback for the Saints is expected to be 34-year-old veteran, Andy Dalton (more on him below the tweet). But Jameis Winston is far from New Orleans’ only injury concerns this weekend. In the same tweet that reported Jameis’ status, Tom Pelissero announced star wide receiver Michael Thomas as “Out”.

#Saints WR Michael Thomas is out and QB Jameis Winston is doubtful for Sunday, per coach Dennis Allen.

Andy Dalton in line to start against the #Vikings in London.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 30, 2022

Seeing Red

If Andy Dalton starts Sunday morning, it’ll be the third-straight year that he’s started vs the Minnesota Vikings. All three will have been on different teams. In 2020, he and the Dallas Cowboys daggered Zimmer & Co late and won 31-28. Last season, Dalton QB’d the Chicago Bears in week 17. That game ended as a 31-17 Vikings victory.

Andy Dalton had three touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2020, but only threw for 203 yards. Last year for the Bears, he threw for 325 yards, but had more interceptions (2) than touchdowns (1). In all reality, a good team beats this New Orleans Saints team, no matter which two of their quarterbacks is playing.

Unless in-his-prime Drew Brees flying in to save the day, this is a team that’s banged up and had plenty of issues even before that.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan