Steelers' Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf looking for offensive breakout vs. Vikings in Dublin

Aaron Rodgers doesn’t fancy himself as a beer drinker, but he admitted his favorite alcoholic beverage on tap is Guinness.

The chance to down a few pints isn’t why the 41-year-old quarterback is looking forward to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ trip to Dublin this weekend to face the Minnesota Vikings.

It’s a small sample size, but Rodgers has never won a game on a trip across the pond, and he’d like to correct that when the Steelers (2-1) face the Vikings (2-1) at Croke Park.

Rodgers is 0-2 in games played in Europe, losing twice on trips to London with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, respectively. In 2022, his last of 18 seasons with the Packers, he was on the wrong end of a 27-22 decision against the New York Giants. Last year, his second with the Jets, he faced the Vikings and lost 23-17.

Perhaps a game outside the United Kingdom will change his fate.

“I have Irish heritage,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “Very excited to get out there.”

The Steelers aren’t departing to Pittsburgh until Thursday night and will arrive in Dublin on Friday morning for media events and the final day of practice before the game Sunday, which kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Rodgers lamented the lack of time on the ground in Ireland so the Steelers could deal with the time change and any potential jet lag.

The NFL set the travel schedule for the Steelers and Vikings so neither team would have a travel advantage — or disadvantage.

“I’d love to go over Monday, have a full week over there, have the bye week afterwards,” Rodgers said. “The NFL put the kibosh to that supposedly. … You have to suck it up and stay awake all day Friday, if you do that, you should be feeling pretty good Saturday.”

The game is the first for the NFL in Ireland. Wide receiver DK Metcalf was with Seattle in 2022 when the Seahawks played Tampa Bay in the inaugural regular-season game in Germany. Like Rodgers, he is searching for his first victory; Seattle lost 21-16. And, like Rodgers, he isn’t concerned about travel and a five-hour time difference disrupting his schedule.

“No, I’ll be ready to play,” he said.

Rodgers and Metcalf are the new high-profile pieces to an offense that has sputtered at times through three weeks. The Steelers rank No. 23 in total offense and No. 16 in points under second-year offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. After scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions last Sunday in a 21-14 victory at New England, the Steelers totaled 19 yards on the next five drives before they drove for the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Rodgers ranks No. 22 in passing yards and has thrown seven touchdown passes against three interceptions. He also has led the Steelers to touchdowns on seven of eight trips inside the red zone.

“I can play better, for sure,” Rodgers said. “It’s just about sometimes you have to take what the defense gives you and be comfortable with that. Some of our best plays are getting the ball in our playmaker’s hands and letting them go. I need to be disciplined like I usually am and get the ball to the guys.”

As for Metcalf — who has 10 catches for 135 yards — 61 wide receivers have more receptions and 58 have accounted for more yardage. In the past two games, he has six catches for 52 yards but two of those receptions have been touchdowns.

“We have to get our pass catchers involved more,” Metcalf said.

The chance for the Steelers to break out against the Vikings involves several interesting subplots. The Vikings have the NFL’s sixth-ranked defense under coordinator Brian Flores, a former Steelers assistant.

And Rodgers’ name was linked to the Vikings in the spring before he eventually signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in June. On Wednesday, Rodgers shot down speculation that he was considering the Vikings before joining the Steelers. He said rumors were fueled by his friendship with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell.

Rodgers said he has known O’Connell since 2008, and they worked out in the offseason together at a fitness club near San Diego.

“We’ve been friends forever, and we keep in touch,” Rodgers said. “He’s one of the guys I keep in touch with. Things never progressed farther than catch-up conversations, and I’ll just leave it at that.”