Kellen Moore is taking the New Orleans Saints into their bye week with a review of the whole season. After Sunday’s 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Stade de France, the second-year head coach said, “We’ve just got to evaluate everything,” and made clear that the coaching staff and the kicking game are part of that look.
The defeat in the NFL’s first game in France dropped New Orleans to 2-5. The Saints never held a lead, and they now have two weeks before their next game to decide what changes, if any, come out of the review.
No rush on the staff
Moore was asked whether the struggles could lead to changes among his assistants. He said the club would evaluate whether any are needed, but that it would not jump into a decision. The question has hung over the team since owner Gayle Benson described the 1-4 start as unacceptable and said accountability had to begin at the top. Benson then voiced public support for Moore earlier this week, and New Orleans had beaten the Giants the week before the trip.
Kellen Moore after Saints lose to Steelers/run game struggles: We have to dig in and solve this thing. pic.twitter.com/dHEGJ5NDiL
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) October 25, 2026
Moore’s main complaint about Sunday was the run game. New Orleans carried 17 times for 18 yards among Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller and quarterback Tyler Shough. The Saints did not pass 20 rushing yards until early in the fourth quarter and then lost two yards in the final period. Moore said the team had to run the ball better and could not put itself in that position again, and that a frustrated group had to set its emotions aside and find answers. It did not help that New Orleans lost C.J. Donaldson, one of the more physical backs on the roster, to a shoulder injury before halftime.
Pittsburgh showed what the Saints were missing. Jaylen Warren ran 18 times for 101 yards, and he and Rico Dowdle accounted for 142 of the Steelers’ 148 rushing yards.
The kicking question
Daniel Carlson made a 38-yarder in the second quarter that tied the game 3-3, but later pushed a 52-yard attempt wide right in a game decided by six points. Asked about the state of the kicking game, Moore did not defend it: “I think it’s fair to say we’ve got to evaluate that.”
Kellen Moore on the state of the kicking game (another miss from 52 today): "I think it's fair to say we've got to evaluate that." #Saints
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) October 25, 2026
The passing game gave Moore less to worry about. Shough completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown, and Kamara caught seven passes for 57 yards. But Shough’s first career interception inside the red zone, a third-quarter throw that linebacker Payton Wilson picked off at the Pittsburgh 11, ended the Saints’ best chance to go in front. It was his sixth interception of the season. New Orleans did not score after halftime.
The defense held up its end against Aaron Rodgers, holding him to 19 of 30 for 212 yards and bringing him down three times, with 1.5 sacks apiece for Chase Young and Carl Granderson. Every number from the game is in the Steelers-Saints Game Center.
What comes next
The Saints are off in Week 8. They return on Sunday, November 8, at noon Central time, when they host the Cleveland Browns at the Caesars Superdome. Moore said he believes the team has a real chance to find solutions in the meantime. What the review produces, on the staff or at kicker, is the first thing to watch when the team reconvenes.
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