The Steelers landed in Paris on Friday morning and never made it onto the field. Storm Austen, which put Paris and the rest of the Île-de-France region on orange alert for wind, wiped out their planned walk-through at the Stade de France, closed the league’s free flag football festival beside the Eiffel Tower for the day and kept reporters away from the Saints’ practice in Versailles. By the afternoon the bigger news was about Saturday, when France will put 70,000 police officers and gendarmes on the streets for a new day of protests.
None of it changes Sunday. Steelers vs. Saints still kicks off at 2:30 p.m. in Paris, 4:30 p.m. in Cairo, at the Stade de France.
The Steelers posted their arrival in Paris at about 12:20 p.m. Cairo time on Friday.
A walk-through called off on arrival day
Pittsburgh flew overnight from Pittsburgh and had planned an outdoor session at the Stade de France at 11 a.m. Paris time (noon in Cairo). It was called off about 90 minutes beforehand because of the wind and rain, and the team went straight from the airport to its hotel, where the players and coaches met the media instead. The club’s injury report for Friday is an estimate because the team did not practice.
Aaron Rodgers was asked about the unrest that has hung over the week. “I definitely think that the NFL is alert to what’s going on. This game means a lot to the NFL. If it was unsafe, then I’m sure we wouldn’t be here,” he said.
Mike McCarthy said T.J. Watt’s calf was not a worry. Watt, limited on Thursday, was estimated as a full participant and has no game status. “I would say no,” McCarthy said when asked if it was a concern. “Frankly we just got off the flight, and we’ll work the guys here and see how they respond and tomorrow’s practice will answer all those questions.”
The same goes for safety DeShon Elliott, who practiced fully all week while designated to return from injured reserve and is listed as questionable. “We’ll make those decisions officially after tomorrow’s practice,” McCarthy said. “It definitely would be huge for him to play again, especially Sunday against the Saints.” Running back Rico Dowdle (knee) is also questionable. Receiver Ben Skowronek (calf) and cornerback Brandin Echols (hamstring) were ruled out on Thursday and stayed in Pittsburgh. McCarthy would not say whether Marquez Valdes-Scantling, signed to the practice squad on Tuesday, could be elevated, but he liked what he saw in Thursday’s practice: “He looked good in practice yesterday. It was great to see him.”
The flag football festival by the Eiffel Tower closes for the day
The NFL Experience Paris presented by Wilson, a free outdoor flag football festival at Place Jacques-Rueff at the southern end of the Champ-de-Mars, was due to run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with coaching sessions, skills challenges and a Wilson throwing contest. Shortly before 11 a.m. Paris time the league announced it would stay shut for the rest of Friday “due to adverse weather” and asked fans not to come to the site. The notice covered Friday only, and the league has not said anything about Saturday’s session.
The closure notice, posted by the league’s French account.
The city had already closed all of its parks, gardens, squares and cemeteries for the day, and Météo-France had Paris on orange alert from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (noon to 5 p.m. in Cairo), with gusts of 90 to 100 km/h at the peak. Forecasters expected the wind to drop from the evening, with gusts of around 50 to 60 km/h on Saturday before a calmer Sunday. Several suburban RER and Transilien branches were cut as a precaution, but the cuts announced on Thursday evening did not touch the RER B or the stretch of the RER D that serves the stadium in Saint-Denis.
NFL House, the indoor fan space at Pavillon Cambon Capucines on rue Cambon, kept its program. The league’s French account published three talks: “The Power of Cool” on Friday at 3 p.m. Paris time, “Paris & Black America: A Love Letter to Community” on Friday at 5 p.m., and “French Athletes in Football” on Saturday at 2 p.m. (4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 3 p.m. in Cairo). Entry is free but must be booked through the NFL OnePass app.
The wind did not stop everyone throwing. Early on Friday afternoon the Saints posted former New Orleans receiver Donte Stallworth landing a Hail Mary Challenge throw across the Seine, the stunt fans can try themselves at the Petit Pont on Saturday morning.
Video: New Orleans Saints on X.
The Saints: closed practice, Ruiz questionable, Carlson back
The Saints still practiced at their base, the Stade Municipal Montbauron in Versailles, but the league told reporters there would be no media viewing period “due to elevated wind and rain conditions, in accordance with local authorities.” Kellen Moore was happy with the setup the team has had all week. “Our setup is as good as I have ever seen from an international game perspective,” he said.
Kellen Moore on the Saints’ week in France. Video: New Orleans Saints on X.
Guard Cesar Ruiz (knee), who missed Wednesday and Thursday, practiced on a limited basis and is questionable, as is defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (illness), according to Jeff Nowak, who has covered the team in Paris all week. Kicker Daniel Carlson flew in from the United States, where he had stayed for the birth of his child, landed at about 7:45 a.m. and was a full participant. The baby has not arrived yet, and Nowak said the hope is that Carlson can get home in time.
70,000 police for Saturday, and a shooting in the Yvelines
Emmanuel Macron chaired a defence council at the Élysée on Friday morning, and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez then laid out the plan for Saturday’s nationwide day of protests: 70,000 police officers and gendarmes, elite units including the RAID, the GIGN and the BRI, about 20 Centaure armoured vehicles, 15 water cannon and “numerous helicopters” over Paris and the other big cities. Nuñez said there were many calls online to commit violence and looting and warned anyone tempted to answer them. “We will be absolutely uncompromising,” he said.
In Paris the only authorized march is the union procession from Bastille to Nation. Lyon has banned every protest, while Marseille’s prefecture ended up authorizing one. The overnight curfew at République and Châtelet–Les Halles stays in force every night until Monday morning, as set out in our Thursday report, and our weekend guide covers the routes, stations and stadium transport.
Separately, a gunman firing an automatic weapon from a car killed one person and seriously wounded four others in Trappes and La Verrière on Friday morning. The two towns are in the Yvelines, the same department as Versailles, about a dozen kilometres southwest of it. A 39-year-old suspect was arrested in nearby Coignières, and the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation that includes a possible racist motive. Nuñez went to Trappes in the afternoon. Nothing reported so far connects it to the game.
What comes next (Cairo time)
- Friday, October 23, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.: talks at NFL House; the wind eases from the evening
- Saturday, October 24: Steelers practice; Saints walk through at the Stade de France; Hail Mary Challenge at the Petit Pont, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; union march from Bastille to Nation; NFL Experience Paris due 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. if it reopens
- Saturday, October 24: decisions on DeShon Elliott and T.J. Watt after the Steelers’ practice
- Every night until Monday: curfew at République and Châtelet–Les Halles, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Paris time
- Sunday, October 25, 4:30 p.m.: Steelers vs. Saints at the Stade de France
How the Saints have spent their week in Versailles is in our practice report.
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