The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting set for their lone international game of the 2026 season against the New Orleans Saints, and their keys to victory could not be more clearly outlined.
Mike McCarthy's team has seen ebbs and flows in the first third of the season, but it's time to clamp down and take care of business against a subpar Saints team. On paper, Pittsburgh has a comparable offense, but a better defense and more overall roster talent.
While the overseas travel for this Paris contest makes for an odd setting, the Steelers must execute only two things at a high level in order to escape France with a win and advance to 5-2.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will defeat the Saints in Week 7 if they can execute these two keys
Steelers must run the crap out of the football
Sounds easy, right? But this is a game plan the Steelers too often abandon. They can't afford to ignore the ground game against New Orleans in Week 7.
The Saints rank 30th in rushing yards allowed per game, with 138.0 surrendered to opponents on 4.8 yards per attempt (28th in the NFL). Worse yet, New Orleans' defense ranks dead last in rush defense EPA per play (-0.003) and rush success rate allowed (49.7%), per RBSDM Stats.
There's never been a better time for the Steelers to unleash Jaylen Warren, who already found remarkable success against suspect rush defenses like the Colts, Browns, and Bengals. Through six weeks, Warren ranks 3rd in yards per carry, 13th in EPA per rush, 10th in yards after contact per rush, and 5th in broken tackles per attempt, per SumerSports and Pro Football Reference.
McCarthy needs to stick with the running game against the Saints; it's going to work.
Pittsburgh's defense needs to slow down Chris Olave
Defensively, the Steelers' top objective couldn't be easier to identify: slow down star wide receiver Chris Olave. Through the first six weeks of the season, Olave is on track for 122 receptions, 1,643 yards, and six touchdowns. He also ranks 2nd in the NFL in total EPA entering Week 7, behind only the Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Can you guess where quarterback Tyler Shough want to go with the football?
While the Steelers need to respect veteran tight end Juwan Johnson over the middle of the field against linebackers and safeties who can be suspect in coverage, stopping Olave is the key to success for the defense. He's had three performances of over 100 yards already—including a 182-yard performance against the Lions in Week 1.
It seems unlikely that the Steelers will have cornerback Jamel Dean shadowing Olave, but they need to be aware of where the Saints' best playmaker is at all times (you can't miss him with his big guardian cap out there).
Olave runs a full route tree, so Patrick Graham should have his defense essentially doubling the star wideout throughout the game by playing inside leverage with help over the top. The only way the Saints' passing game is really going to get going is by targeting Olave early and often... and the Steelers can't let that happen.
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