Injuries have changed the shape of the Steelers’ passing game, and Germie Bernard is the player New Orleans can’t afford to treat like a side note.
DK Metcalf was always going to draw attention, but the rookie has stepped into a much bigger role since Roman Wilson and Michael Pittman Jr. landed on injured reserve. Bernard opened the season with 11 targets across Pittsburgh’s first four games, and eight of those came in Week 2. Then the workload really took off: Rodgers threw to Bernard 12 times last week and nine times the game before that, and Bernard caught 17 of those targets.
That volume has made the Steelers’ receiver room easier to manage, even if the overall depth is still thin. Over the last two weeks, Bernard has actually outproduced Metcalf and has been Pittsburgh’s leading receiver.
The Steelers’ other notable pass-game pieces are Metcalf and running back Jaylen Warren. Metcalf led the team in receiving yards last week, and Warren did it the week before.
Bernard, though, has been the steadiest option in the group. He posted 80 yards and 87 yards in back-to-back games, finishing second in each one by just a narrow margin.
No Steelers receiver has been more reliable this year.
That’s part of why Gregg Rosenthal has described Bernard as Pittsburgh’s top receiver, calling him 1A to Metcalf’s 1B. That might be a little early, but it says plenty about how Bernard is being viewed.
Metcalf has had big individual outings of 115 yards and 93 yards, but every other game has stayed under 40 yards. Bernard is the only Steelers receiver to go for 80 or more yards in consecutive games this season, and that kind of consistency is exactly the sort of thing Aaron Rodgers tends to trust.
This doesn’t look like a short-term blip, either. Bernard was a prospect I was high on coming out of Alabama. The Saints went with Jordyn Tyson in the first round, but Bernard is the kind of receiver New Orleans needs to have on its radar - and the kind who can make life difficult for them.
He works as a slot receiver and does most of his damage underneath. That sets up a key matchup with Jonas Sanker. Bernard splits his snaps almost evenly between the slot and out wide, with a slight lean toward the slot, but the real issue is what happens after the catch.
Sanker has to stay glued in coverage and not give Bernard space to turn short catches into extra yardage. That’s where Bernard does his best work, and those yards after the catch can quickly swing a drive from 3rd and 7 to 4th and 3, or even to 1st and 10.
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Saints Paris Game Could Decide How Hot Kellen Moores Seat Gets
The Saints trip to Paris carries more than international flair for Kellen Moore and a team still searching for traction. Against the Steelers, the result will be judged not just in the standings but in the broader conversation around a first-year coach trying to steady the locker room and establish trust. Owner Gayle Benson is the one voice that matters most in that equation, and this game has quickly become a marker for how much patience remains as the season moves forward.
A win would at least give the Saints something tangible to build on, while a loss would only intensify the noise around Moores future. The range of possibilities is wide because the stakes are so awkwardly high: one game in a marquee setting, a team still feeling its way, and a coach whose standing could shift dramatically depending on how this one plays out. For New Orleans, Paris is about more than a novelty showcase. It is the kind of stage that can shape how the rest of the season feels. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Offense Faces A Real Test In Paris Against Pittsburgh
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There is also no shortage of firepower on the other side, with Jaylen Warren and Pat Freiermuth giving Pittsburgh multiple ways to stress a defense. The betting market has already framed this as a tight one, but the bigger question for New Orleans is whether its offense can answer a real test on an international stage and turn enough chances into touchdowns to keep the game within reach. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Paris Game Just Revived A Nightmare Fans Never Forgot
The NFLs assignment for the Saints game in Paris against the Steelers carries a familiar name for New Orleans fans, and not for a comforting reason. Bill Vinovich is set to work the matchup overseas, a notable call because the league had steered clear of putting him on Saints games in recent years, keeping an obvious distance from a memory that still lingers in the fan base.
For New Orleans supporters, the optics are hard to miss, even with the league trying to spread its product internationally. A Paris showcase is supposed to feel fresh and celebratory, but the referee assignment revives old frustration and puts an unwelcome spotlight back on a chapter the Saints would probably prefer stay buried. [Read more 🡒]