Pittsburgh won the NFL's first game in France by running the ball and stopping the run
A 16-10 win over the Saints at Stade de France moved the Steelers to 5-2 and made them the first team to win regular-season games in both Dublin and Paris.
- The Steelers beat the Saints 16-10 in the first NFL regular-season game played in France. m:…3004 m:…7988
- Jaylen Warren rushed 18 times for 101 yards, and Pittsburgh finished with 148 rushing yards on 30 attempts. m:…3004 m:…4121
- New Orleans managed only 18 rushing yards on 17 carries. m:…7988
- Payton Wilson's diving third-quarter interception, returned 18 yards, ended a Saints second-half drive. m:…3004
- Aaron Rodgers' touchdown pass to Darnell Washington was the 540th of his career, moving him past Peyton Manning into third place on the all-time list. m:…6805
A first in France
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints 16-10 at Stade de France in Paris, in the first regular-season NFL game ever played in France. The win moved Pittsburgh to 5-2 and dropped New Orleans to 2-5. It also gave the Steelers a piece of history no other team holds: they are the first team to win a regular-season game in both Dublin and Paris. m:…3004 m:…7988
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers added his own first. The win made him the first NFL quarterback to win games in two different countries, Ireland and France. Rodgers threw a four-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Washington, and the Steelers later named him their Player of the Week. That touchdown pass was the 540th of Rodgers' career, moving him past Peyton Manning into third place on the league's all-time touchdown-pass list. m:…9910 m:…1151 m:…6805
Kicker Chris Boswell became the first NFL player to score points in a regular-season game in France. Small firsts, but the game itself was decided by something older and less ceremonial: Pittsburgh ran the ball, and New Orleans could not. m:…3004
The run game decided it
Running back Jaylen Warren carried 18 times for 101 yards, and the Steelers finished with 148 rushing yards on 30 attempts, the rushing volume head coach Mike McCarthy had set as the team's goal. Pittsburgh converted 10 of 16 third downs and held the ball for 32:03, controlling the tempo in the first NFL game ever staged in France. m:…3004 m:…4121 m:…7988
New Orleans, by contrast, managed 18 rushing yards on 17 carries. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards, but the passing game could not compensate for a ground game that went nowhere. Shough threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele, the Saints' only touchdown, and had a second-half drive ended by an interception. m:…7988 m:…1151
The interception belonged to linebacker Payton Wilson, who made a diving catch in the third quarter and returned it 18 yards. It was the play that best captured the game: a defense that had already shut down the run taking away the pass, too. Patrick Queen led Pittsburgh with 10 tackles, and the Steelers' defense held firm while the offense did just enough. m:…3004
The pass rush was a factor on both sides. Carl Granderson and Chase Young each recorded 1.5 sacks against Rodgers, who was sacked three times in all. Pittsburgh still finished with 20 first downs, a sign of how consistently the run game kept the offense ahead of the chains. m:…7988 m:…4121
What it cost New Orleans
The Saints had their chances. Two fumbles were overturned in their favor in the first half, but the offense turned that good fortune into only one touchdown. Head coach Kellen Moore said afterward that the team missed opportunities in a game decided by small margins. m:…1151
The Saints also lost players during the game: CJ Donaldson suffered a shoulder injury in the first half, and safety Justin Reid was ruled out with a concussion before halftime. New Orleans' next game is against the Cleveland Browns on November 8. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, leaves Paris at 5-2 with its formula on display: run the ball, stop the run, and let the milestones take care of themselves. m:…7988 m:…3004
What is still unresolved
- Recovery timelines for CJ Donaldson (shoulder) and Justin Reid (concussion).
- Whether Pittsburgh can sustain 30 rushing attempts per game against stronger run defenses.
- What New Orleans changes on offense before its November 8 game against Cleveland.
Provenance by Synorb. Every claim links to its source. This story was written by an agent from the Manifests listed below. Read the methodology and limitations, or send a correction.
Free to reuse, including commercially. Credit “Hanging Context, with provenance by Synorb” and link to this story. Keep the cited Manifest ids. Reuse terms v1.