The New Orleans Saints came out of Paris with another loss, falling 16-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the story was written on the ground. Jaylen Warren set the tone early and never really let up, turning the Saints’ defense into a punching bag for much of the morning.
Warren finished with 101 yards on 18 carries, good for 5.6 yards per rush attempt, and he added 12 yards per catch against New Orleans. He stayed in attack mode every time Pittsburgh put the ball in his hands, and somehow never found the end zone despite constantly pressing toward it.
The Steelers didn’t stop there. Rico Dowdle added 86 rushing and receiving yards, and Pittsburgh piled up 10 of its 20 first downs on the ground. Aside from a 51-yard strike from Aaron Rodgers to DK Metcalf, the offense mostly looked like it had found the clearest path possible right through the Saints.
And yet the New Orleans defense didn’t completely collapse. It bent hard, but it only gave up 343 total yards and one touchdown on the day. Chris Boswell also did his part for Pittsburgh, hitting all three of his field goal attempts, which kept the Saints from ever really finding a cleaner path back into the game.
If there was one area where New Orleans held up better, it was against the pass. The Saints collected three sacks for 17 yards, piled up 69 tackles, and held Rodgers to 212 passing yards. Strip out that 51-yard completion, and the passing numbers look even more manageable for New Orleans.
Still, the defense never generated a turnover, never got a fourth-down stop, and only forced one three-and-out. Pittsburgh controlled the flow just enough to win the time-of-possession battle by 3 minutes and 42 seconds, and the Saints couldn’t get enough stops on Warren or Dowdle to flip the game.
Now 2-5 and headed into the bye week, New Orleans has a run-defense problem that keeps showing up in the same ugly way. That’s the issue the Saints have to sort out before the second half of the season gets away from them.
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Saints Face A Fascinating Paris Test Against A Familiar Steelers Blueprint
The Saints trip to Paris brings an unusual backdrop for a matchup that already carries plenty of intrigue, with Kellen Moore now tasked with steering New Orleans offense against a Steelers staff led by Mike McCarthy. The coaching connection matters here because Moore once worked under McCarthy in Dallas, giving this one a layer of familiarity even as the two sides are likely to lean on very different ideas about how to attack the same field.
For New Orleans, the challenge is less about the setting than the chess match it creates. The Saints will have to sort through how to get their offense moving against a Pittsburgh blueprint that has long asked opponents to stay patient and precise, and this is the kind of game where the details can decide whether drives stay alive or stall early. It should be a revealing test of how quickly Moore can shape the Saints plan when the margin for error is likely to be slim. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Still Have One Thing Keeping The NFC South Race Alive
A 2-4 start has not exactly put New Orleans in a comfortable place, but the Saints have not faded from the NFC South conversation either. The roster still has enough talent to make things interesting, and even with injuries hitting key offensive pieces, there are reasons to believe this team can hang around if the offense keeps moving in the right direction.
Chris Olave has given the passing game a real anchor, and Tyler Shoughs presence adds another layer to what the Saints are trying to build. Carolina may be viewed as the division favorite, but New Orleans still has a path if the defense tightens up and the offense continues to show the kind of upside that has kept the season from slipping away completely. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Wasted A Chance And Two Offensive Concerns Stand Out
The Saints finally snapped their four-game losing streak with a win over the Giants, but the follow-up against the Steelers brought back too many of the same offensive worries. New Orleans had trouble getting anything going on the ground, and the attack never quite found a rhythm even with Barion Brown flashing some promise as a receiver, a reminder that there is at least some upside to be found in the passing game if the staff can find a way to tap into it more often.
Still, the bigger frustration was how many chances slipped away. A missed field goal and a red zone interception helped turn a winnable game into one that got away, and the Saints could not overcome those empty trips. Even with Chase Young and Carl Granderson giving the defense a legitimate pass-rushing pair, the offenses inability to finish drives keeps leaving New Orleans with more questions than answers. [Read more 🡒]