Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 16, New Orleans Saints 10
The NFL made its regular-season debut in France on Sunday, with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in a defensive battle at Stade de France.
Before we get into the football, I’ve got to acknowledge Pittsburgh’s entrance.
Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers’ quarterback room arrived dressed like they were straight out of Peaky Blinders, complete with suits and flat caps. The Steelers came dressed like the Shelby family, and they left Paris with a victory.
Unfortunately, the game itself wasn’t nearly as stylish.
This was a slow, methodical matchup in which both teams struggled to finish drives. Pittsburgh made just enough plays to secure the victory, while New Orleans repeatedly hurt itself with questionable coaching decisions, penalties, and missed opportunities.
Let’s break it down.
First Quarter: Warren Sets the Tone
Steelers 3, Saints 0
Pittsburgh wasted little time establishing its rushing attack.
Jaylen Warren broke loose for a 29-yard run on the opening possession, immediately putting New Orleans on its heels. Another productive carry moved the Steelers into the red zone.
However, Pittsburgh couldn’t finish the drive. Aaron Rodgers failed to connect with DK Metcalf on third down, forcing Chris Boswell to kick a 28-yard field goal.
The Steelers led 3-0.
New Orleans responded with a promising possession of its own.
Tyler Shough found Chris Olave for a 10-yard gain on third-and-seven before connecting with Devaughn Vele for another 14 yards on third-and-six.
The Saints were moving the football effectively through the air, which made their subsequent decisions even more frustrating.
Instead of continuing to attack through the passing game, New Orleans attempted to get creative with a trick play that lost yardage.
Then, facing third-and-ten, the Saints somehow committed a delay-of-game penalty.
How does that happen?
Shough nearly threw an interception on the resulting third-and-15, and New Orleans was forced to punt.
An encouraging drive completely wasted by poor execution.
Pittsburgh controlled much of the remaining quarter with a conservative approach. Rodgers consistently got the ball out in one or two seconds, while Warren helped the Steelers stay ahead of the chains.
Neither offense managed another score before the quarter ended.
Second Quarter: Both Quarterbacks Deliver
Halftime: Steelers 13, Saints 10
The second quarter finally provided some excitement.
New Orleans forced Pittsburgh into a longer third down, and Rodgers overthrew Germie Bernard, giving the Saints another opportunity.
Shough immediately took advantage.
He connected with Barion Brown on a massive 49-yard completion, moving New Orleans deep into Pittsburgh territory. A subsequent pass to Kendre Miller helped advance the drive, although the possession nearly ended when T.J. Watt appeared to force a fumble.
Replay showed Shough was down before the ball came loose, overturning the turnover.
The Saints ultimately settled for a Daniel Carlson field goal, tying the game 3-3.
Pittsburgh answered with its best offensive possession of the afternoon.
Rodgers found Warren on a short pass, and the running back turned it into a 26-yard gain.
Then came one of the biggest plays of the game.
Facing third-and-14, Rodgers delivered a beautiful 51-yard strike to DK Metcalf, putting Pittsburgh near the goal line.
A few plays later, Rodgers connected with Darnell Washington for a four-yard touchdown.
Steelers 10, Saints 3.
New Orleans needed a response, and Shough delivered.
A strong kickoff return gave the Saints excellent field position. Shough converted a crucial fourth down with a completion to Olave, then found Alvin Kamara for a 13-yard gain on third-and-five.
New Orleans reached the goal line, where things became unnecessarily complicated.
Shough was stopped on a quarterback sneak. Kendre Miller was then stuffed on another rushing attempt, with the ball briefly appearing to come loose before replay confirmed he was down.
At that point, it was obvious Pittsburgh was expecting another run.
The Saints finally changed their approach.
On fourth-and-goal, Shough found Devaughn Vele for a one-yard touchdown, tying the game 10-10.
Shough completed all seven of his passes for 50 yards on the possession. Excellent quarterback play when New Orleans desperately needed it.
But Pittsburgh still had enough time to respond.
Warren converted a third-and-one with a 15-yard run, and Rodgers later found Bernard for 20 yards on third down. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, an unnecessary roughness penalty erased most of that gain.
Rodgers was then sacked with the clock running and no timeouts remaining.
Pittsburgh scrambled its field goal unit onto the field, somehow getting the snap off before halftime.
Boswell drilled the 47-yard attempt as time expired.
A chaotic finish to an entertaining second quarter.
Steelers 13, Saints 10.
Third Quarter: Payton Wilson Changes the Game
Steelers 16, Saints 10
New Orleans opened the second half with another promising drive.
Shough continued making plays under pressure, finding Vele for a 24-yard gain on third-and-11 after escaping the pocket.
On another crucial third down, Shough kept the football himself and leaped over a defender to move the chains.
The Saints quarterback was doing everything possible to keep the possession alive.
Then disaster struck.
With New Orleans threatening in the red zone, Payton Wilson read Shough’s intentions perfectly, jumped the passing route, and secured a massive interception.
It was one of the defining plays of the afternoon.
Pittsburgh took over and moved the ball downfield, including an impressive 20-yard completion from Rodgers to Smith after the quarterback escaped pressure to his left.
However, Chase Young came up with a crucial sack in the red zone, preventing Pittsburgh from reaching the end zone.
Boswell converted another field goal, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 16-10.
The Saints had opportunities, but their inability to capitalize on promising possessions continued to haunt them.
Fourth Quarter: Pittsburgh Holds On
Final: Steelers 16, Saints 10
New Orleans entered the fourth quarter needing just one touchdown to potentially take the lead.
Defensively, the Saints continued battling.
Chase Young recorded his second sack of the afternoon, forcing Pittsburgh to give the football back.
Shough had another opportunity.
A tight sideline reception by Chris Olave kept the possession moving, but Pittsburgh’s defense eventually took control.
Two consecutive passes were knocked down, leaving the Saints facing a difficult third down.
Shough was then sacked.
Another promising opportunity gone.
Pittsburgh responded with an important third-down conversion of its own, this time courtesy of Rodgers’ legs.
Facing third-and-six, the veteran quarterback scrambled for eight yards to move the chains.
Not bad for the old guy.
The Steelers eventually lined up for another field goal, but the Saints had one final mistake left in them.
Boswell made the kick, only for New Orleans to be flagged for an offsides penalty.
Rather than accept the three points, Pittsburgh accepted the penalty, which gave it a first down and allowed Rodgers to kneel out the remaining clock.
A fitting ending for an afternoon filled with avoidable mistakes from New Orleans.
Final: Pittsburgh 16, New Orleans 10.
EST Takeaways
1. New Orleans’ Coaching and Discipline Were Unacceptable
I’m going to be critical here because the Saints deserve it.
The passing game was working early, yet New Orleans repeatedly complicated things with questionable play calls.
The trick play during the opening possession made absolutely no sense. The delay-of-game penalty on third-and-ten was equally frustrating.
Then there were the repeated rushing attempts near the goal line when Pittsburgh clearly expected the ball to stay on the ground.
And to finish the game with an offsides penalty that effectively handed Pittsburgh the victory?
You cannot make this stuff up.
The Saints had enough opportunities to win this game. Their lack of discipline and poor situational execution were major reasons they didn’t.
2. Jaylen Warren Was Pittsburgh’s Offensive Engine
Warren was excellent from the opening possession.
His 29-yard run immediately established Pittsburgh’s physical approach, and he continued moving the chains throughout the afternoon.
Whether it was picking up tough yards on third down or turning short passes into significant gains, Warren consistently gave Rodgers manageable situations.
Pittsburgh’s offense wasn’t particularly explosive overall, but Warren provided much of its consistency.
3. Tyler Shough Deserved Better Support
Despite the loss, I thought Shough showed plenty of encouraging signs.
His second-quarter touchdown drive was outstanding, particularly the seven consecutive completions.
He also demonstrated impressive mobility and awareness, extending plays and picking up crucial first downs.
The red-zone interception was costly, and he certainly wasn’t flawless.
However, Shough gave New Orleans opportunities to win. The team around him simply didn’t do enough with those chances.
4. Pittsburgh’s Defense Delivered in Crucial Moments
Payton Wilson’s red-zone interception was enormous.
Instead of allowing New Orleans to potentially take the lead, Pittsburgh flipped possession and eventually extended its advantage.
T.J. Watt created problems in the backfield, while the Steelers’ defensive front repeatedly disrupted Shough when New Orleans needed a conversion.
The consecutive knocked-down passes and third-down sack in the fourth quarter were particularly important.
Pittsburgh didn’t need an offensive masterpiece because its defense delivered when it mattered.
5. Chase Young Kept New Orleans Competitive
One player who deserves credit on the losing side is Chase Young.
His two sacks were significant, including the red-zone takedown that forced Pittsburgh to settle for a field goal.
Young consistently provided disruption and helped prevent the game from getting out of reach.
The Saints’ defense did enough to give its offense chances.
Unfortunately, those opportunities were wasted.
Final Thoughts
Pittsburgh leaves Paris with a hard-earned 16-10 victory, although this wasn’t exactly a performance that will strike fear into the rest of the NFL.
The Steelers relied heavily on Jaylen Warren, received timely contributions from Aaron Rodgers, and benefited from strong defensive play.
As for New Orleans, the talent and competitive effort were there in stretches.
The execution wasn’t.
Too many avoidable mistakes, too many wasted possessions, and too many questionable decisions ultimately cost the Saints a game they had every opportunity to win.
Pittsburgh dressed like the Peaky Blinders before kickoff.
By the end of the afternoon, they had taken care of business.
Final Score: Steelers 16, Saints 10
Stay tuned to Ethical Sports Takes for more NFL Week 7 coverage, game recaps, and analysis.
Leave a Reply