It's Sunday, October 25, at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, kicking off at 8:30 AM CT. The Saints are the nominal home team, but there's no Superdome crowd to lean on. The forecast as of today calls for light drizzle with almost no wind. The calendar matters for both clubs too: they flew home from road games, turn around and cross the Atlantic, and for New Orleans the bye comes right after this trip.
As of today the Steelers have won 2 straight. That doesn't hide how thin they've been at receiver. Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson are both on IR, DK Metcalf only got off the injury report late in the week with an illness, and Pittsburgh had to elevate Brandon Smith and Brandon Johnson from the practice squad. Mike McCarthy has called Jaylen Warren "our featured player right now," and if Pittsburgh can't throw it downfield, that tells you where the ball is going. The Saints are 2-4. The Giants win stopped a 3-game skid that included 35 allowed to the Raiders and 45 allowed to the Falcons, both at home. That defense is the biggest question New Orleans brings to France.
The matchup comes down to whether a short-handed Steelers secondary can keep Shough, Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara from making it a shootout, and whether a Saints defense that has been gashed all fall can stop Rodgers from moving the ball 5 yards at a time. Pittsburgh has the steadier quarterback. New Orleans has momentum from a 34-0 run and nowhere to hide on its depth chart. Both will be at a neutral site, overseas, at breakfast time back home.