The New Orleans Saints dropped a close 16-10 game to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Stade de France in Paris, leaving structural flaws and offensive struggles glaringly exposed after Week 7. Just a week after putting up 175 rushing yards on 38 carries in a dominant win over the New York Giants, the Saints’ ground game hit an immovable brick wall overseas.
Operating nearly 3,600 miles away from home, New Orleans managed just 18 yards on 17 carries. Evaluating the performance player-by-player highlights how thoroughly the Steelers bottled up the backfield, holding running backs to negligible gains while accumulating as many runs for zero or fewer yards as they did for more than 1 yard. Saints center Erik McCoy candidly assessed the tactical failure after the final whistle.
They brought some stuff. They pressured more than they have all season. … I think they had some good scheme stuff called at the right time to our tendencies, so shout out to them on that,
McCoy stated when asked whether the breakdown stemmed from planning or execution.
Trenches and Tough Sledding
Defensively, the Saints struggled mightily to contain Steelers running back Jaylen Warren, who churned out 101 yards on 18 carries. Warren consistently carried defenders for extra yardage, helping Pittsburgh convert 10 of 16 third downs. The interior defensive line felt the absence of Bryan Bresee acutely, as waiver claim Colby Wooden led all defensive tackles with 44 snaps while second-round pick Christen Miller logged just 18.
Jaylen Warren isn't slowing down.PITvsNO on NFL NetworkStream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/KL0xSY8XqM
Kicking woes added to the frustration. Daniel Carlson missed a field goal short and to the right—marking his fourth missed field goal and a pair of missed PATs to this stage of the season—on a kick that would have trimmed the margin to three points with a little under 10 minutes to play.
Bright Spots and Roster Adjustments
Amid the struggles, rookie wide receiver Barion Brown provided a massive spark. After a 1-yard loss on his initial touch, Brown broke loose for a 49-yard reception on a deep post and jump-started the team’s lone touchdown drive with an explosive kickoff return.
On the defensive edge, Chase Young continued his dominant campaign, adding 1.5 sacks to bring his season total to seven. Young delivered a crucial third-down stop in the fourth quarter following a missed field goal, forcing Pittsburgh’s only three-and-out of the afternoon to keep the Saints within striking distance.
The Saints also altered their cornerback alignment, inserting Martin Emerson Jr. into the starting lineup in place of Quincy Riley following Emerson’s strong outing against the Giants. Emerson’s physical presence helped anchor the secondary alongside Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Following the overseas matchup in Paris, the Saints enter their Week 9 bye.
