The Pittsburgh Steelers’ lone international game of the 2026 season comes with a built-in complication: New Orleans arrives in Paris with more time to settle in, while Pittsburgh is trying to solve a quarterback problem before the game even kicks off.
That is the tension hanging over Sunday’s matchup. The Saints will have five days to adjust to the time change. The Steelers will have only two. Pittsburgh also canceled a practice this week and did not practice on Friday, leaving less room for error in a week already shaped by travel and timing.
At the same time, the football side of the matchup points to a very specific task for Pittsburgh’s defense: Tyler Shough.
The Saints quarterback has already been sacked 13 times this season, but he has also shown enough mobility to make a defense pay if it loses discipline. Shough has scrambled eight times for 89 yards and two rushing touchdowns, and he has paired that with 12 passing touchdowns and an average of 240.5 passing yards per game. He is also playing through broken bones in his non-throwing hand, adding another layer to a matchup the Steelers are trying to control rather than simply react to.
That is where Patrick Graham’s group comes in. The Steelers’ defensive coordinator is being asked to build a plan around the player New Orleans has leaned on most. Shough has a clear connection with Chris Olave, and the two have combined for 580 receiving yards and 43 receptions this season. Olave is on track for 122 catches, 1,643 yards and six touchdowns through the first six weeks, production that cannot be overlooked by Pittsburgh’s defense.
The challenge is not just stopping one receiver. It is keeping Shough from turning the game into a rhythm passing attack, especially if the Saints can get Olave involved early. New Orleans’ offense has been framed around that connection, and Pittsburgh’s task is to disrupt it before it settles in.
The Steelers also have their own offensive opening to press. New Orleans ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed per game at 138.0, and the Saints are giving up 4.8 yards per carry. They also rank last in rush defense efficiency metrics, including a rush defense EPA per play of -0.003 and a 49.7% success rate allowed. That gives Jaylen Warren a clear lane to matter if Pittsburgh can stay on schedule.
Warren has been one of the league’s most efficient runners through six weeks, ranking third in yards per carry, 13th in EPA per rush, 10th in yards after contact per rush and fifth in broken tackles per attempt. Against a defense that has struggled to hold up on the ground, Pittsburgh has reason to lean on him early and often.
The Steelers’ pass rush has also shown signs of life at the right time. They have six sacks over their last two games, and they will need that pressure to show up again if they want to make Shough uncomfortable. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are expected to play full snaps despite injuries, and Pittsburgh will need both edge rushers to help force the kind of hurried throws that can change a game quickly.
That pressure matters even more because the Steelers’ secondary has its own questions. Jalen Ramsey is expected to play despite a wrist injury, but the defense has to hold up against more than just Olave. Veteran tight end Juwan Johnson gives New Orleans another way to attack mismatches against Pittsburgh’s linebackers and safeties.
The broader picture is why this game has been described as an uphill assignment for Pittsburgh. The Saints have a 2-1 record in international games, while the Steelers are trying to get over their.500 record in these types of contests and earn a second win. New Orleans also comes in off a Week 6 victory, just like Pittsburgh, which keeps the focus on execution rather than momentum alone.
For the Steelers, the path is narrow but clear: pressure Shough, limit Olave, and avoid letting the Saints’ early edge in preparation become the deciding factor. If Pittsburgh can do that, the Paris trip becomes a football game. If it cannot, the Saints’ head start may be enough to matter before the fourth quarter even arrives.