DUBLIN (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were trying to get into field-goal range for a potential tying score late in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Not having a play clock to
look at directly over the defense made it even tougher for quarterback Carson Wentz.
Minnesota took a delay of game penalty with 14 seconds left, creating fourth-and-17 from the Vikings 32. Wentz then threw an incomplete pass and the comeback fell short in a 24-21 loss to Pittsburgh in Ireland's first regular-season NFL game.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell wasn't happy.
“It was a unique thing about coming to play here and then you find out about three minutes before the kickoff that that end zone’s game clock and play clock would be turned off for the day,” O'Connell said.
“Normally that clock right in front of the quarterback is kind of registering ‘I’ve got to get going.’ It was just precious time lost in a sequence,” he added.
O’Connell said they were trying to get “as detailed of a play off” as possible, arranging protection “to give us a chance on the play to let our guys get downfield.”
“That was a critical, critical penalty.”
The NFL said in a statement that both teams were informed of the problem.
“We used the stadium scoreboard above the north end zone to display the game clock and play clock due to an issue with synching the static stadium clock and play clock at that end of the field. Players always had the play clock and game clock visible to them at all times. Both clubs were informed of this prior to game,” the league's statement said.
That scoreboard, however, is in a corner of the stadium.
“Yeah, it was weird,” Wentz said. “I’m not going to lie, it was weird looking behind me, looking over my shoulder on the side. I thought we handled it OK. Obviously got us at a very bad time of the game, unfortunately. But yeah, that was a little different.”
Ultimately, though, Wentz said the delay of game penalty was his fault.
“That’s on me. I’ve got to be quicker in and out. I think I just kind of lost sight of it, obviously physically, and was kind of back of my mind, so I’ve got to be better,” he said.
Wentz, who was called for intentional grounding earlier on that final drive, was 30 for 46 for 350 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in his second straight start for the injured J.J. McCarthy.
Both interceptions came off tipped passes — DeShon Elliott and T.J. Watt had the turnovers.
“I’m not going to lie, those are tough. They kind of derailed, I thought, we had some decent momentum going on a couple drives,” said Wentz, who at one point was poked in the eye.
Wentz threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes after the Vikings fell behind 24-6. He connected with Zavier Scott for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The 2-point conversion made the score 24-14. Jalen Nailor’s 2-yard touchdown reception on fourth down closed the gap to 24-21 just before the two-minute warning.
Justin Jefferson, who had 10 catches for 126 yards, said penalties — eight for 82 yards — are costing the Vikings, who travel to London to face the Cleveland Browns next Sunday.
“Definitely a sick taste in our mouth, just hurting ourselves really, just shooting ourselves in the foot and just giving them more opportunities to really get points or gain that momentum,” Jefferson said.
“We’re still figuring it out,” he added. “Just dealing with different circumstances, injuries, people having to step up in different spots. It’s difficult. ... We’ve got to look at the film to really digest it for real."
Jordan Addison had four catches for 114 yards in his first game of the season after a three-game suspension.
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