The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints are about to make a little NFL history in Paris, and the Week 7 matchup comes with plenty to watch beyond the novelty. For the first time in league history, a regular season game will be played in France, with Paris hosting the latest stop in the NFL’s international push nearly 20 years after the Dolphins and Giants took part in the first regular season game outside North America.
The stakes on the field are still the main draw. Pittsburgh comes in at 4-2 after edging the Buccaneers 26-19 in overtime last week.
New Orleans sits at 2-4 after a strange 34-27 win over the Giants. Both teams have issues they’re trying to iron out, but the Steelers are favored heading in.
As the game gets closer, the key details will keep coming in, including injury updates, the weather outlook, how to watch, and the biggest storylines to follow.
The injury reports for both teams will be posted as they become available.
The current weather forecast will also be updated through NFLWeather.com.
One of the biggest questions is whether the Steelers will keep leaning on the pass even while dealing with missing playmakers. In Week 6 against Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh stuck with the passing game as the center of the offense even without multiple receivers.
The result was messy for long stretches, even in a win. Aaron Rodgers threw for 253 yards, but he needed 49 pass attempts to get there.
According to Next Gen Stats, only five of those throws traveled more than 10 yards. It looked, at least from the source reporting, like Mike McCarthy didn’t trust Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle to win against the Buccaneers’ strong run defense.
That approach may not fly against better teams, though the Saints may be a matchup where Pittsburgh can get away with it again.
Another layer to this trip is how each team handled the travel. The whole debate around international games has centered on whether clubs should arrive early and adjust or try to keep the week as normal as possible.
The Steelers chose the latter, flying out Thursday night. The Saints took the opposite path and arrived in France on Monday, which means they should be more settled by Sunday.
Whether that difference matters is something to watch.
There’s also the matter of whether Pittsburgh’s pass rush can finally look like the force it’s supposed to be against a Saints offensive line that has struggled. The Steelers’ defense is built around that pressure, but the numbers haven’t been quite as sharp this season.
Pittsburgh ranks 23rd in pressure percentage at 37.4%, according to Sumer Sports, though it is still ninth in sacks with 16. That means they’ve found ways to finish plays, even if the disruption hasn’t been consistent snap to snap.
Individually, the group has been uneven. T.J.
Watt has cooled down after a fast start, Alex Highsmith hasn’t produced at his usual level, and Nick Herbig has flashed but hasn’t been as dominant as he was last season. Up front, Cam Heyward has remained steady, while the other interior pieces have been more up and down.
In Other News...
Steelers Secondary Is Making The Joey Porter Trade Harder To Judge
The Steelers decision to deal Joey Porter Jr. to Dallas on Oct. 1 already looked like the kind of move that would take some time to properly judge, and three games later the coverage numbers from the cornerback room have only complicated the picture. Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette have helped hold up well on the back end, giving Pittsburgh enough early evidence to suggest the position has not fallen apart without Porter.
Still, the stretch that produced those encouraging results came against a softer run of opposing quarterbacks, and that matters when trying to measure how much the trade really changed the defense. The Steelers have a tougher evaluation ahead, and if the schedule starts asking more of those corners, Porters absence could become a far bigger talking point than it has been so far. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Still Have One Clear Trade Deadline Need At Wide Receiver
The Steelers have already made one move to bolster their receiver room by adding Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but the position still looks like the most obvious area for help as the NFL trade deadline approaches. Pittsburgh needs more reliable depth around its current group, and the market offers a few different kinds of answers, from a steadier veteran presence to younger options with more explosive traits.
Kendrick Bourne, Dontayvion Wicks and Quentin Johnston each fit the conversation for different reasons, which is part of what makes the decision tricky. The Steelers have to balance experience, speed and availability while trying to avoid paying for the wrong kind of upside, and the closer they get to the deadline, the more every possible receiver addition has to be measured against the risks that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Face One Risky WR Decision As Trade Deadline Nears
The Steelers have already started shoring up their receiver depth by adding veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad, and he is expected to move onto the active roster. It is the kind of move that suggests Pittsburgh is looking for steadier answers around its passing game as the trade deadline approaches, especially with the front office continuing to weigh how aggressive it wants to be in upgrading the position.
Chris Godwins name has come up in some outside speculation, but the fit looks awkward on paper for Pittsburgh. His contract would be a major commitment, and the injury concerns attached to him make the idea even harder to justify for a team that needs reliability as much as upside. For now, the Steelers appear more likely to lean on the additions already in house than chase a costly swing that would carry plenty of risk. [Read more 🡒]