The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers both warmed up nicely for next Sunday's trip to Croke Park with wins in their respective NFL week three match-ups.
Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz, making his first start for the Vikings, led his team to a facile win over a Cincinnati Bengals team shorn of their star quarterback, Joe Burrow.
Jake Browning, lining up under centre in place of Burrow, made little headway against a tough Vikings defence.
In New England, Pittsburgh didn't have it all their own way, but Aaron Rodgers helped ensure his team headed for Dublin with an identical two-wins, one-loss record as next Sunday's opponents with a late fourth-quarter drive to edge the Steelers ahead of the Patriots for the victory.
The 21-14 result would prove to be Rodgers first ever win at New England's famed Foxboro Stadium.
In February, the Irish Government told RTÉ Sport that it has committed to providing just short of €10m in State funding for the event - to cover a licence fee, security, transport and other costs around the venue - following "extensive discussions and negotiations with the NFL, which included a comprehensive assessment of costs and benefits."
The yearly Aer Lingus College Football Classic series has seen a considerable financial benefit in recent year, with Kansas State and Iowa State facing off back in August in Aviva Stadium.
In some of the other early Sunday kick-offs, the Carolina Panthers hammered the Atlanta Falcons 30-0; Cleveland Browns shocked the Green Bay Packers 13-10 with a walk-off field goal while the Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Houston Texans 17-10.
Elsewhere, the Indianapolis Colts improved to 3-0 with a 41-20 defeat of the Tennessee Titans. Also unbeaten remain the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following an eventful 29-27 win at home to the New York Jets.
