Tomlin speech on late Rooney inspires Steelers

DUBLIN -- The nighttime earlier playing the archetypal regular-season NFL crippled successful Dublin, Pittsburgh Steelers manager Mike Tomlin delivered an affectional code to his squad astir the value of the precocious Dan M. Rooney, a erstwhile U.S. ambassador to Ireland and influential Steelers chairman.

Less than 24 hours later, Tomlin and the Steelers held connected for an affectional rollercoaster triumph 24-21 triumph against the Vikings successful the Rooney family's homeland successful beforehand of thousands of Terrible Towel-toting fans.

"We decidedly had a spot connected our shoulder," borderline rusher T.J. Watt said. "Mike T past nighttime gave a code connected the value of the Rooney household present successful Ireland and Mr. Rooney, his ambassadorship present and however important this crippled means to their family.

"We instrumentality a batch of pridefulness successful that, and to beryllium capable to spell retired determination and play Steeler shot was huge."

The Steelers did conscionable that with a mostly ascendant antiaircraft show that included six sacks, 2 interceptions, 14 backmost hits and 10 tackles for loss. They hung connected done a precocious surge by the Vikings that brought the Carson Wentz-led squad wrong 3 points, utilizing a deflected walk by information DeShon Elliott to seal the triumph with seconds remaining.

"I cognize he's smiling astatine america today," Tomlin said of the erstwhile ambassador. "It's conscionable an grant to fulfill his vision, to bring NFL shot to Dublin."

Designated arsenic a Steelers location game, the assemblage of astir 75,000 was mostly Steelers fans, and they were raucous from the infinitesimal the gates opened 3 hours earlier kickoff.

"I thought the ambiance was outstanding," backmost Aaron Rodgers said. "I travel retired early. In astir NFL stadiums there's 2 hours erstwhile the stadium opens, and it starts to trickle in. Somebody came backmost successful the locker country astatine similar 11:00 and goes, man, there's a ton of radical retired determination already. I was like, yeah, we're not successful the states anymore. This is simply a antithetic benignant of fan.

"... A batch of unspeakable towels there, but I felt similar determination was astir apt immoderate bully aged Irish getting successful the premix excessively waving those towels astir a small bit. The euphony was great. The fans were cool. The tract was pristine."

The full gameday acquisition was an embodiment of Pittsburgh traditions and the Rooney family's Irish heritage. During warmups, the Clada House Band, an Irish group, performed unrecorded sets betwixt a DJ mixing top-40 hits and songs from Irish artists. The crippled besides featured performances of some the U.S. and Irish nationalist anthems.

"This has ever been a imagination of his," choky extremity Connor Heyward said of Rooney. "Even connected the mode present to the stadium, you could get chills. I got chills conscionable seeing each the Steelers fans and having this accidental and past besides with the nationalist anthem, similar proceeding the U.S. National Anthem and past proceeding the Ireland nationalist Anthem. Two opposites, one's much lit, but it was truly cool."

Just arsenic they bash astatine Acrisure Stadium, the Steelers besides played the Pittsburgh Polka earlier kickoff. Later on, the stadium ushered successful the 4th fourth with a crowd-led singalong to "Zombie" by the Cranberries, an Irish stone set formed successful Limerick.

After the Steelers kicked a tract extremity to instrumentality an 18-point pb aboriginal successful the last quarter, the jumbotron screens went acheronian and Styx's Renegade, the Steelers' antiaircraft anthem, began to play.

Sunday's triumph capped a whirlwind three-day travel to the land for the Steelers, who arrived connected Friday and promptly took an hour-long autobus thrust to Carton House for their play accommodations. The Steelers practiced astatine the property a mates hours aft arriving, utilizing the aforesaid fields antecedently utilized by the Irish nationalist rugby squad up of ...