Pittsburgh Steelers beat New Orleans Saints 16-10 in Paris
On Oct. 25, 2026, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in the NFL’s inaugural International Game staged in France. Steelers.com writer Bob Labriola reported the team established its ground game from the outset and controlled the clock to secure the victory. The win extended Pittsburgh’s streak to three games and improved the Steelers’ record to 5-2. The team will host the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium the coming Sunday.
Running back Jaylen Warren led Pittsburgh with 101 rushing yards on 18 carries and finished with 21 touches for 137 yards from scrimmage after adding three receptions. Rico Dowdell added 86 yards from scrimmage on 15 touches. The Steelers totaled 148 rushing yards on 30 attempts, a 4.9-yard average, and ran 63 offensive plays, splitting 30 rushes and 33 passes. The offense also endured three sacks of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh converted 20 first downs, with nine by rushing, 10 by passing and one on a special-teams penalty. The run game produced crucial early third-down conversions when the Steelers converted four third downs with runs on their first two possessions. Coach Mike McCarthy said the ability to run on third-and-short was a key part of the game plan and execution. He credited players and coaches for sticking to the run.
The starting offensive line — Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick, Zach Frazier, Brock Hoffman and Max Iheanachor — made its fifth consecutive start together and has played 100 percent of offensive snaps since the unit settled into a five-man alignment. McCarthy moved Hoffman to right guard and Iheanachor to right tackle ahead of the Sept. 27 game against Cincinnati, and the group has fueled a stronger running attack. Since that change they produced 138 rushing yards vs. Cincinnati, a 4.8-yard average vs. the Cleveland Browns’ front, and 127 rushing yards vs. the Indianapolis Professional Football Team. In Paris the unit helped Pittsburgh finish with 148 rushing yards, a 4.9-yard average, and a 32:03-27:57 edge in time of possession.
Pittsburgh’s run defense has contributed to the three-game winning streak by limiting opposing rushers in recent games and holding New Orleans to 11 yards on 14 attempts from Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller combined in Paris. After Derrick Harmon and Sebastian Joseph-Day moved to injured reserve, rookies Gabriel Rubio and Kevin Jobity Jr. absorbed their snaps and second-year Yahya Black took on increased responsibilities. Those changes helped the defensive rotation sustain production during back-to-back road victories. The team sits tied with the Cleveland Browns atop the AFC North.
McCarthy said momentum creates confidence and stressed the importance of the upcoming division series with Cleveland. He identified areas for improvement, including pass protection, red-zone efficiency — Pittsburgh was 1-of-4 in the red zone in Paris — and possession-down defense. Labriola’s report noted Saints quarterback Tyler Shough completed 79 percent of his passes and New Orleans converted 57.1 percent on possession downs. The team closed the report with the directive “Marquer plus de points.”
NFL Sports Blog Take
The Steelers’ commitment to running the football decided the game in Paris and highlighted the value of offensive-line continuity and a multi-back approach led by Jaylen Warren. Pittsburgh must improve pass protection and red-zone scoring to turn control of the ball into higher point totals and more consistent results. Defensively, limiting New Orleans’ rushing attack and adjusting after defensive-line injuries have been strengths the team must sustain. The upcoming game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium will test whether Pittsburgh can convert its balance into consistent scoring in divisional play.