Saints Face Bye Week Reckoning After Ground Game Stalls in Paris

The New Orleans Saints left Paris with another close loss and a problem that was impossible to overlook: Their entire offense gained fewer rushing yards than Pittsburgh running back Jaylen Warren had in several individual carries.

New Orleans ran 17 times for 18 yards in Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Steelers at Stade de France. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, rushed for 148 yards, including 101 from Warren, and converted 10 of 16 third downs. The defeat dropped the Saints to 2-5 entering their bye week.

For a team that entered the season hoping to build on a stronger finish to 2025, the game exposed shortcomings on both sides of the ball. It also renewed questions about whether the Saints’ approach to preparation and player development is producing enough progress.

Quarterback Tyler Shough passed for 278 yards and a touchdown, but New Orleans was held scoreless in the second half. His third-quarter interception near Pittsburgh’s goal line ended a promising drive, and Daniel Carlson missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt late in the game. The Saints had opportunities to take the lead but could not capitalize.

Shough accepted responsibility for the interception, saying he needed to place the pass farther outside. After the game, he also stressed the importance of evaluating effort, execution and decision-making rather than judging every play solely by its outcome.

Linebacker Kaden Elliss, a team captain, called for players to examine their own performances through seven games and identify recurring mistakes. If a pattern emerges, he said, the individual player’s preparation must change.

Their comments point to the challenge facing New Orleans during its week off: preserving the players’ confidence while correcting problems that have repeatedly appeared on Sundays.

The Saints finished 2025 with five wins in their final nine games, raising expectations for coach Kellen Moore’s second season and Shough’s first year as the established starter. Instead, New Orleans is 8-19 since Moore took over and has gone scoreless in the first quarter 17 times during his tenure, according to the original analysis. The team remains winless in games designated as home contests this season, including the Paris matchup.

The running game’s struggles in Paris came a week after the Saints defeated the New York Giants 34-27. Against Pittsburgh, New Orleans averaged barely more than 1 yard per carry. On defense, the Saints recorded pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers but could not consistently get off the field.

Edge rushers Chase Young and Carl Granderson each recorded 1½ sacks Sunday, giving Young seven for the season and Granderson 5½. Their production, along with Shough and the receiving corps, has provided bright spots, but it has not been enough to offset slow starts, turnovers and inconsistent rushing on both sides. Special teams have also been a concern, with missed field goals and coverage issues contributing to the scrutiny.

The pressure extends beyond the field. After the Saints’ 1-4 start, owner Gayle Benson publicly said the team’s performance was unacceptable and assigned responsibility throughout the organization. She said Moore and his staff must prepare players, general manager Mickey Loomis and the football staff must build a roster capable of sustained success, and players must execute.

The discussion over how to judge the team predates this season. At a January 2025 news conference, after the Saints had fired coach Dennis Allen during the previous season, Loomis said results could not be ignored but that the organization also needed to understand the reasons behind them. Moore was hired the following month.

Now, with 10 games remaining, the bye gives New Orleans time to assess its personnel, preparation and schemes before returning to the field. Whether those evaluations lead to meaningful improvement will determine how much of the season the Saints can salvage.