After all the talk and expectation, the weekend has finally arrived.
Yes, there are many storylines this week, but it's hard to look past the NFL coming to Dublin for the first time, with the Pittsburgh Steelers facing the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park on Sunday (2.30pm Irish time).
Dublin bound for a landmark showdown
This is a game almost 200 years in the making. In the 1840s, the Rooney family left Newry to embark on a life in North America. Fast forward to 2025, and the team that the family built - the Pittsburgh Steelers - comes home in historic fashion.
On the field, the Steelers have started with a 2-1 record, with their only loss at home to the Seattle Seahawks in the second week of the season. While it wasn’t an electric performance, victory last weekend against the New England Patriots ensured that the Steelers would come to Ireland with a positive record.
Have no doubt about it, the Steelers organisation and players know the significance of this game to the team and they will want to win not only for their play-off hopes, but to do justice to the memory of late owner Dan Rooney, who was United States Ambassador to Ireland from 2009 to 2012.
Steelers fans will expect to see an improved performance across the board this week, but Aaron Rodgers and company will be up against it.
The Vikings defence has been impressive at the start of the season. On the ground, Pittsburgh will need to run the ball more and take advantage of all opportunities offensively, with no player picking up more than 34 yards receiving last weekend in Foxborough.
The Vikings roll into the capital not only looking different from the start of the campaign, but in good spirits, sitting 2-1. They are about to create a little history of their own, becoming the first team in league history to play across two international countries in two weeks. Next weekend, they will play in London against the Cleveland Browns.
While Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy will travel with the team, he is not expected to play, with Carson Wentz likely to take to the field in Dublin. The Vikings impressed last weekend, putting up 48 points over a lacklustre Cincinnati Bengals side.
That being said, consistency is key. They struggled in the second week of the season against the Atlanta Falcons and a quick start is needed in Dublin. Their defence, as noted, is a standout for the team, with an impressive five takeaways and four sacks last weekend.
Expect this game to be tough, end to end. With any luck it will match a good hurling or football game for drama.
Battle of the undefeated
After Dublin has its moment, fans will be in for a treat when the 3-0 Buccaneers welcome the 3-0 Eagles to Tampa Bay.
Both teams did it the hard way last weekend, with each encounter going down to the wire.
What is most impressive about both teams is the leadership of each quarterback. Last week, it was clear that the Eagles allowed Jalen Hurts to control the key moments. When he was trailing, he managed to produce three passing touchdowns for over 200 passing yards, flipping the narrative at a time when many expected the Rams to go on and win.
For Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay, it has been a journey of redemption. The former Heisman winner looks like the perfect fit for this team, making history last week as the first quarterback to lead game-winning drives in each of the first three weeks of a season.
This is going to be a fun one, folks.
Indiana Jones in Los Angeles
Who would have imagined by Week 4 the Indianapolis Colts would be where they are now?
Through three weeks, Daniel Jones has nearly hit the 1000-yard mark and frankly, he looks reborn in a position where many doubted him throughout his time in New York. Outside of that, the Colts are not only improved, but they are fun to watch, dropping 41 points on the Tennessee Titans last weekend. They look like the old Manning era side.
The question is, how long can they keep this up?
It’s a fair question to ask, as this week they will travel to Los Angeles to face a Rams team that will be reeling from losing late to the Philadelphia Eagles. One of the things that stood out last weekend was the way that the Rams could contain Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley in the first half of the encounter. It was almost shocking how easy they made it look.
For the Rams, it will be consistency from here on out. It is clear that they have the talent needed to not only make a deep run in their division, but the NFC overall.
A potential AFC Championship clash
Mahomes v Jackson. It's a mouthwatering face-off.
The Kansas City Chiefs got back to winning ways last weekend when they defeated the New York Giants in the Meadowlands, but they did not look effective offensively at all.
While they avoided what would have been their first 0-3 start since 2011, Patrick Mahomes and the offence struggled in the first half, relying on kicker Harrison Butker to get them out of a hole. Outside of a fourth-quarter touchdown, the Chiefs look like they need more time to gel, something that they simply do not have when they are about to welcome Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to Arrowhead.
The Ravens will be looking to bounce back after a loss on Monday night against the Detroit Lions. Hard to imagine one of these powerhouses is falling to 1-3 after this weekend.
Welcome back, Micah
If Mahomes versus Jackson is a box office hit, this is a pretty good sequel.
After the huge trade late in the summer, Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons will return to Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys in the early hours of Monday morning.
Through the first two weeks, the Packers defence was superb. It ranked highest in the league in pressures and yards allowed per play, and second in the league in sacks.
There is no easy way to sugarcoat it - the Packers struggled last weekend against the Cleveland Browns.
The Ohio outfit’s defence has been outstanding and really stopped the Packers from making any considerable gains across the day. This will be a key game for the team to try and move to 3-1.
After losing to the Chicago Bears last weekend, it could be argued that the Dallas Cowboys could really use a defensive star.
If only they had someone like Micah Parsons…
