After getting as much sleep as possible on an overnight transatlantic flight, the Vikings landed in Dublin and headed straight to practice.
The goal was to minimize jet lag as much as possible.
This is how the Vikings have typically handled international games under head coach Kevin O’Connell. They believe the best way to maximize performance in the short term is to avoid acclimating to the time change.
That won’t be an option on this 10-day trip across the pond.
After playing the Pittsburgh Steelers at Croke Park in Dublin this weekend, the Vikings play the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next weekend. It’s the first time in NFL history that a team will play consecutive international games in different countries.
“If this was me booking travel and bringing the orange slices after the game, I would not be this confident in our ability to go handle these trips,” O’Connell said with a laugh this week. “We’ve got unbelievable people at every layer that go into the planning.”
The anecdotal evidence already exists, as the Vikings have never lost an International game.
The resources put into this trip, in particular, from the top down are what gives the Vikings confidence they were the right team to take on this unprecedented feat. The attention to detail was on display last month, when different members of the organizations met with reporters to talk about the trip.
“I know each and every decision that’s being made is made out of the best interest of our players,” O’Connell said. “My confidence level that we’re going to come out of this saying, not only can it be done, it can be done the right way, is due to these folks next to me.”
Here is a deep dive into everything that went into getting ready to travel to Dublin and London:
Travel
Nobody thinks about passports more than director of team operations Paul Martin. As the person in charge of essentially everything related to travel, he’s been tracking them down ever since he got wind that this trip might be a possibility.
“The people in this building are probably a little sick of it because we do hound them constantly,” Martin said. “We are looking for these basically from the time the draft is over.”
Though every team handles passports differently when it comes to the international game, Martin has found that collecting them and storing them in a case under lock and key is the best way to go about it.
“We have done it since our first trip,” Martin said. “It’s really nice peace of mind to know that we’ve got them in hand and the dog didn’t eat it the night before.”
When he hasn’t been thinking about passports, Martin has been thinking about, well, everything else that goes into this trip from a logistical standpoint.
This is the first time the NFL has played an international game in Dublin. After the schedule was released in May, a large group of staff members from the Vikings went over in June to get a lay of the land.
“It wasn’t early enough,” Martin said. “Honestly, for me, I would’ve liked to go the day after this was announced.”
Some of the stops included the Dublin Airport (where the team would land), Irish Rugby Football Union High Performance Centre (where the team would practice), The Shelbourne (where the team would stay), Croke Park (where the team would play), and a couple of pubs to get immersed in the culture.
Luckily for the Vikings, they are quite familiar with London, having played there a number of times in the past. That familiarity should ease some of the stress once they get to that portion of the trip.
That the Vikings were selected as the guinea pigs for a trip like this hasn’t gone unnoticed across the NFL. It’s sparked some friendly ribbing from other teams. The common refrain was everybody saying they got screwed.
That’s not how the Vikings view it.
“You will not hear anything negative coming from us,” Martin said. “This is a positive.”
Equipment
The stress of an international game isn’t anything new for director of equipment services Mike Parson. He’s done it twice in London and once in Mexico City, using everything he’s learned on those trips as a compass for this trip.
“It’s a huge logistical undertaking,” Parson said. “We’re taking the whole operation and moving it overseas and trying to make it so the players and coaches don’t really feel it.”
It’s much more involved than helmets and shoulder pads.
In his role, Parson had to figure out everything each department needed for the trip, then he had to find a way to transport it to Dublin and London without a hitch. As a part of the process, he had to put together an international travel document for customs that listed everything the Vikings were taking with them.
There were also a bunch of supplies sent via a cargo ship on June 30 as a way to lessen the load on the actual departure date. Some of it arrived in Dublin last week, while the rest continued on to London. There will be a ferry from Dublin to London this week, too, that takes items the Vikings need in both locations.
Other stuff Parson has to account for is equipment needed for practices and games, medical devices used for recovery, food and beverage, as well as luggage for all 195 people in the traveling party.
“It consumes our life until the trip is over,” Parson said. “There are plenty of mornings or nights when I wake up and I think of Dublin.”
Not that he ever thought about backing down.
“It was a challenge that we all wanted to take on,” Parson said. “Especially to be the first team to be able to do it.”
Health
In a perfect world for vice president of player health and performance Tyler Williams, he would be able to control the circadian rhythm of everybody on the team. He knows that’s impossible, so he enlisted the help of melatonin to help people fall asleep and caffeine to help people stay awake.
That will be key as the Vikings adjust to the time change in Dublin and London. If everything goes according to plan over the next 10 days, the Vikings will be at their peak against the Steelers and the Browns.
“We want these players to be the best versions of themselves when they hit the field,” Williams said. “We really just stuck to our fundamental principles and said, ‘What allows us to peak on game day when we travel?”
As much as he’s invested in the sleep schedules of everybody on the team, Williams is most concerned with preparing for the worst. If a player needs care in Dublin or London at any point, Williams has to be able to responded without hesitation.
That was on display a few years ago, when former safety Lewis Cine suffered a gruesome leg injury in London. As he reflected on that experience, Williams noted Cine was transported to a local hospital and having surgery within 45 minutes.
“You always worry about that,” Williams said. “That’s why we go through those emergency action plans.”
The hope for the Vikings is they won’t have to deal with anything close to that over the next 10 days. The amount of preparation that everybody involved has been put in, however, speaks to how seriously they’re taking every part of this trip.
“I feel like what makes this advantageous to take this on as the Vikings are the people,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t want any other organization to take this on other than us.”
Nutrition
Perhaps the most important part for head performance dietician Ben Hawkins as he was planning meals for this trip was making sure the players had the proper condiments. That meant sending pallets of ranch dressing and barbecue sauce well in advance.
“Ultimately, our goal is to give the players the best home away from home,” Hawkins said. “We’re thinking about everything that can’t be sourced over there that they’re accustomed to having here.”
As soon the Vikings landed in Dublin, Hawkins had a barista-style espresso station waiting upon arrival, as well as an individualized hydration plan for each player. He also has some food trucks set up in London, courtesy of the Vikings, offering everything from wings to fish and chips.
In total, Hawkins estimated that the Vikings will serve more than 7,000 meals across Dublin and London, sticking to some of the staples that players are used to while also leaning into some of the local cuisine.
“It’s about comfort,” Hawkins said. “If the players can walk into the meal room in Dublin or in London and it feels more like home, then they can focus entirely on football.”
Marketing
As amped as the Vikings are for the games, director of international market Keisha Wyatt might be even more excited about the opportunity off the field. The trip to Dublin and London is a chance for the Vikings to continue to grow their brand.
There are various fan activations already planned by the Vikings, including J.R. Mahon’s Public House & Brewery serving as the official team pub in Dublin, and Redwood serving as the official team pub in London.
There are a number of player appearances planned, including legendary defensive tackle John Randle and fan favorite tight end Kyle Rudolph in Dublin, as well as legendary receiver Cris Carter in London.
The reach of the Vikings will also extend beyond the city limits in London, as they have purchased billboards across the country in in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, New Castle and even Edinburgh.
As for the actual games, Wyatt said the Vikings are hoping that their fans can make up 40 percent of Croke Park, and they’re hoping that number can jump and their fans can make up 60 percent of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“We have fans coming from across the world to see our team,” Wyatt said. “That is a massive win for the organization.”
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