Some teams want to avoid playing in the NFL’s International Series. Coaches and players are creatures of habit. If they could design their own schedules, all 17 games would be played at noon Central time.
However, because the NFL aims to continually expand its global audience, teams must play these games, sometimes against their wishes. The Jacksonville Jaguars are an exception. They became the first team to play two international games in the same season back in 2023 and did so again in 2024.
The Minnesota Vikings are taking that one step further this year. They will become the first team to play two international games in different countries in back-to-back weeks. On September 28, they face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland. One week later, they play the Cleveland Browns in London.
The travel and planning involved can be a headache for players and coaches. Teams have to adjust to the time difference. Some teams arrive early to adjust their body clocks, while others arrive closer to gametime and don’t adjust. The Vikings have adopted a late-week arrival over the past few years, encouraging sleep on the plane. They suggest players have as little screen time as possible, turning off the lights and handing out eye masks. When they arrive, they try to stick to their regular schedule.
International games present a few challenges for the average fan. Both games will kick off at 8:30 a.m. CST, which can be an early morning after a Saturday night. Vikings fans who live in Pittsburgh and Cleveland won’t be able to see their favorite team without leaving home.
So seeing back-to-back games scheduled overseas could cause a double-take. But have the Vikings, who Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has said want to “win in the margins,” found a competitive advantage in scheduling their two international trips?
International games can present challenges to both teams. However, it also neutralizes whatever home-field advantage the designated home team would otherwise have.
The Vikings were the “home” team in last year’s 23-17 win over the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Yet the Jets, who won only five games all year, were within striking distance of taking a late lead that could have upset Minnesota. Stephon Gilmore intercepted Aaron Rodgers to seal the game.
Would the matchup have been as close at U.S. Bank Stadium?
The NFL has played 47 games since the International Series began in 2007. Away teams are 25-22-1 in those matchups, well above the average road record in the NFL. Last year, away teams had a record of 129-156.
That could help swing the odds in Minnesota’s favor, making two road games “neutral.” Every NFC team gets nine road games this season, meaning the Vikings would also have that advantage. And the two potential road environments Minnesota would otherwise be visiting, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, are tough places to play.
Mike Tomlin famously hasn’t had a losing season since taking over as the Steelers’ head coach in 2007. But Pittsburgh’s home record holds an even longer streak. The Steelers haven’t had a losing season at home since 1999, when they played at Three Rivers Stadium and Ben Roethlisberger was still in high school. They have a rich history, passionate fans, and the potential for a frigid winter showdown.
The Browns have also had lots of success at home under Kevin Stefanski. They are 26-16 since 2020; last year was their only losing season. Like Pittsburgh, Cleveland also poses a weather hazard. Even if the Browns aren’t good again, a late-season matchup in the snow could become the ultimate equalizer and upend a Vikings offense that likes to air the ball out.
Inclement weather could also play a factor overseas, but temperatures wouldn’t dip as far in late September or early October. The Vikings had to deal with rain in last year’s matchup with the Jets in London, but they would take that over a snowstorm or blustery winds coming from Lake Erie.
Kevin O’Connell acknowledged the benefits of avoiding the Superdome when the Vikings, the designated visitors, traveled to London to play the New Orleans Saints in 2022.
“I’ve obviously been to the Superdome before,” O’Connell said. “Not playing in that environment there at the Superdome, it’s a benefit for us.”
The Vikings would defeat the Saints 28-25 at Tottenham in front of a crowd that featured a heavy contingent of Minnesota faithful clad in purple.
History shows that two teams flying overseas seem to be at a competitive stalemate when they hit the field on Sunday. But what happens when one team is already there waiting for the other to arrive?
The Jaguars first experienced this in 2023. On October 1, they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 23-7 at Wembley Stadium. One week later, they upset the Buffalo Bills as the designated visitor, 25-20, as 5.5-point underdogs.
Last year, the Jaguars were in London once again for an extended stay. On October 13, the Chicago Bears throttled them, 35-16. However, they rebounded one week later, beating the New England Patriots, 32-16, their largest margin of victory in a 4-13 season.
Although the Jaguars are the only team to play back-to-back games overseas, the Vikings are taking a bye after playing in London, unlike the Jaguars. In 2023, they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 37-20 to continue their winning streak. Last year, the Jaguars lost on a last-second field goal to the favored Green Bay Packers, 30-27.
The Vikings will be taking their Week 6 bye, just like last year after their matchup with the Jets. Once again, the Vikings get a tough draw out of their bye. This year, they have the Philadelphia Eagles at home. Last season, they lost 31-29 to the Detroit Lions in their first game back.
Even though the Vikings didn’t come out victorious, O’Connell and his staff must have liked how they performed as a unit compared to their last London trip. In 2022, the Vikings didn’t take the bye after their win over the Saints. They returned to U.S. Bank Stadium and needed a last-second forced fumble to seal a 29-22 victory over an inferior Bears team that came back from 18 points down to take a fourth-quarter lead.
There’s still no clear-cut way to handle games overseas, but the playing field appears level. The Vikings are taking that over the hostile environments and potential weather hazards in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. If they can come away with two victories in the two “road” games, Minnesota’s decision to play back-to-back games in different countries could be the sort of forward-thinking move that could be the difference between being a wild-card team and a division winner.