The Pittsburgh Steelers edged the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in Saint-Denis, just north of Paris, on the morning of Sunday, October 25. It was the league’s first game that counted on French soil. The league counted 78,488 people in the building, and they watched a game decided by one touchdown each, three Chris Boswell field goals and a second half in which New Orleans did not score.
The numbers explain how Pittsburgh got there. The Steelers ran for 148 yards and the Saints for 18, on 17 carries. Tyler Shough threw for more yards than Aaron Rodgers, but linebacker Payton Wilson’s interception on the first drive of the second half took away the drive most likely to give New Orleans its first lead. Rodgers’ only touchdown pass, to tight end Darnell Washington, took his career count to 540, passing Peyton Manning’s 539, and now only two passers have thrown more.
Below, the game in six chapters: the setting, the scoring, the run game, the passing and the turnover, Rodgers’ record and what comes next for both teams. The Steelers are 5-2 and host Cleveland on November 1; the 2-5 Saints have their bye. Every number is in the Steelers-Saints Game Center.
An entrance to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Photo by Chabe01, CC-BY-SA-4.0, resized.Steelers 16, Saints 10: Paris, step by step
An entrance to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis. Photo by Chabe01, CC-BY-SA-4.0, resized.A first for France
Until Sunday, France had never hosted an NFL game that counted in the standings. Pittsburgh and New Orleans changed that at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on October 25. The league announced a crowd of 78,488.
New Orleans was the designated home team, but it never led. Pittsburgh won 16-10, its third straight win, and moved to 5-2. The Saints fell to 2-5.
Four field goals, two touchdowns, one scoreless half
The only points after halftime came from Chris Boswell’s right foot. He kicked field goals from 28, 47 and 39 yards, the 47-yarder as the first half ended after the field-goal unit rushed on with no timeouts left.
The touchdowns came in the second quarter: a 4-yard pass from Rodgers to tight end Darnell Washington after a 51-yard catch by DK Metcalf, and a fourth-and-goal throw from Tyler Shough to Devaughn Vele that tied it 10-10.
- Boswell, 28 yards · 3-0
- Daniel Carlson, 38 yards · 3-3
- Rodgers to Washington, 4 yards · 10-3
- Shough to Vele on fourth down · 10-10
- Boswell, 47 yards · 13-10
- Boswell, 39 yards · 16-10
Jaylen Warren at Steelers training camp in August 2024. Photo by Cramerwiki, CC0, resized.148 yards to 18 on the ground
The game was settled at the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh ran for 148 yards. New Orleans ran 17 times for 18.
Jaylen Warren finished with 101 yards on 18 runs, plus 36 receiving yards on three catches. Rico Dowdle had 41 yards on nine carries. On the other side, Kendre Miller managed 6 yards on eight tries and Alvin Kamara 5 on six.
Rushing yards
Leading runners
The throws, and the one that was picked
Through the air the Saints were better. Shough hit on 30 of his 38 attempts for 278 yards. Rodgers went 19 of 30 for 212 yards with no interceptions, and the Saints sacked him three times.
The difference was one ball. The Saints opened the third quarter trailing by three and drove inside the Pittsburgh 15. There linebacker Payton Wilson jumped Chris Olave’s route and intercepted Shough. Daniel Carlson then missed from 52 yards, wide right, with 9:27 left in the fourth quarter.
Passing yards
Rodgers passes Manning
Rodgers’ scoring throw to Washington put his regular-season total at 540, one ahead of Peyton Manning. At 42, he is now alone in third place.
France is also the fourth country in which Rodgers has started a game that counted, after the United States, England and Ireland. Only Tom Brady and Drew Brees have more touchdown passes.
Career touchdown passes
Where both teams go from here
The Steelers’ last loss was 27-24 in Cleveland on October 1, a Thursday night. Since then: a win over the Colts, an overtime win in Tampa and now Paris. Next up are the same Browns, this time in Pittsburgh.
The Saints, who had won the week before against the Giants, go into their bye at 2-5 and return against the same Browns on November 8.
- Steelers lose 27-24 at Cleveland
- Steelers beat the Saints 16-10 in Paris
- Browns at Steelers, 1:00 p.m. EST
- Browns at Saints, 1:00 p.m. EST
Pittsburgh won in Paris the way it has won all month: a running game that wore the other side down, a defense that made the one play it needed and enough of Rodgers to stay in front. The red zone is the part to fix before Cleveland comes to town. The full box score lives in the Steelers-Saints Game Center.
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