Steelers Defeat Saints 16-10 in NFL's Historic Regular-Season Game in France
Aaron Rodgers surpassed Peyton Manning on the all-time touchdown passing list as Pittsburgh held off a struggling New Orleans squad in Saint-Denis.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-10 on Sunday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, marking the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in France. With the victory, the Steelers improved to 5-2 and extended their winning streak to three games, while the Saints dropped to 2-5 ahead of their upcoming bye week.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 19 of 30 passes for 212 yards and threw one touchdown pass, moving past Peyton Manning on the all-time touchdown passing list. Rodgers also scrambled for a crucial first down late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. Running back Jaylen Warren contributed heavily to the offense with 101 rushing yards, and kicker Chris Boswell added three field goals.
On the other side, New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough put forth a gritty effort despite playing through injuries to both hands. Shough completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown, including a 1-yard scoring pass to Devaughn Vele. However, the Saints' ground game collapsed to historic lows, finishing with only 18 rushing yards on 17 carries.
The Saints failed to have a single player rush for at least 10 yards, marking only the third time in franchise history and the first since 1993 that the team fell short of that mark. Their average of 1.06 yards per rush was the lowest for any team with at least 15 attempts since 2017. New Orleans coach Kellen Moore acknowledged the unsustainable nature of their one-dimensional offense.
"Seventeen runs for 18 yards, it's going to be hard to win football games doing that," Moore said after the game, noting that injuries to key linemen and running backs have compounded their struggles.
Defensively, linebacker Payton Wilson made a pivotal play for Pittsburgh in the third quarter by intercepting a short pass from Shough in the red zone. The turnover set up a field goal that extended the Steelers' lead to 16-10. Shough attempted a late comeback, but the Steelers controlled the ball for the final 5 minutes and 52 seconds to secure the victory.
Off the field, the broadcast also drew significant attention. Analyst Jason Kelce faced criticism from viewers on social media for confusing player names during the game and repeatedly suggesting that the Saints adopt a quarterback sneak strategy similar to the "Tush Push" popularized by his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles.