The Steelers boarded their charter for France on Thursday night without one of the events planned for their fans in Paris. Hours before the team left Pittsburgh, the club called off “Steelers House,” a weekend fan gathering at an Irish pub in the Bastille neighborhood, the square where Saturday’s protest marches are due to start. That evening the Paris police prefecture extended its overnight curfew in the city centre to every night until Monday morning, which takes in the night after Sunday’s game at the Stade de France.
The game itself is unchanged. Kickoff is still 2:30 p.m. in Paris on Sunday, 4:30 p.m. in Cairo, and the league says none of its own events have been touched.
The Steelers posted their departure from Pittsburgh shortly before 3 a.m. Cairo time on Friday.
Why Steelers House was called off
The event, promoted jointly by the club and the league, was set for O’Sullivans, an Irish pub near Place de la Bastille that had been advertising a watch party for Sunday. A message sent to fans on Thursday said: “Following recent events in the Bastille neighborhood, and after careful consideration, we felt it appropriate not to move forward with the planned Steelers House fan event in Paris.” It added that preparations for the game “continue as planned.”
In a separate statement the Steelers called it “a precautionary measure” and said the designated bar “had been planned in Bastille — an area that has experienced recent disruptions.” The club repeated the league’s line that “there have been no disruptions or impacts at League sites.”
Nicki Ewell, the league’s vice president for global events, said at NFL House on Thursday that the decision was the club’s and that the league had sent the message to fans only because the two had promoted the event together. No league fan event has been affected, she said. NFL House on rue Cambon opens on Friday and Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. Paris time (1 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Cairo), and the Hail Mary challenge at the Petit Pont, opposite Notre-Dame, runs on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Cairo).
Bastille is at the heart of Saturday’s plans. The one march the prefecture has authorized, declared by the CGT union, runs from Place de la Bastille to Place de la Nation, and the yellow-vest movement, whose route to the Opéra has been banned, has said it will gather at Bastille from midday anyway. Our Paris weekend guide has the routes and the stations to avoid.
The decision came a day after Commissioner Roger Goodell said he had a high comfort level with security for the game and had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. On Thursday the State Department’s deputy spokesman, Luke Ortega, said Rubio had been in direct contact with the league over the previous 24 hours. The department’s advisory for France asks travelers to “exercise increased caution” because of terrorism and unrest, and Ortega urged Americans in France to avoid the demonstrations and follow local authorities’ advice.
The curfew now runs through game night
Shortly before 8 p.m. on Thursday the police prefecture published a new order renewing the curfew in its two zones, the central reservation of Place de la République and a perimeter around Châtelet–Les Halles, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. every night until Monday, October 26. Paris had already spent three nights under the measure. As before it applies to adults and minors alike, with exemptions for residents, people going to work, shopkeepers and emergency services.
The timing raised eyebrows. On Wednesday the Paris administrative court had ordered the prefect to publish curfew orders at least 12 hours before they take effect, except in urgent cases, and Thursday’s order went out about three hours before the first night began. Because the new order covers four nights in one go, the curfews for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights are now public well in advance.
A second order banned undeclared gatherings from Thursday evening until 6 a.m. on Friday in a long list of sensitive areas, including the surroundings of the Élysée, the National Assembly, the Senate, the Champs-Élysées and the main railway stations.
The transport closures are decided separately, night by night. On Thursday the RATP shut Châtelet, Châtelet–Les Halles, Les Halles, République and also Trocadéro from 10 p.m. at the prefecture’s request, with trains running through without stopping. The RER B, the line to La Plaine–Stade de France, was cut north of Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame from 10:45 p.m., and passengers heading north were sent via Denfert-Rochereau. Any closures for the weekend nights will be announced by the transport operators each day.
For fans the curfew zones themselves are a small part of the city, and neither reaches Saint-Denis or the league’s fan sites. The bigger risk is getting home. Châtelet–Les Halles is where the RER B from the stadium meets the RER A and D and five metro lines, so anyone staying out in the centre after the game on Sunday should check that night’s closures before travelling. The background to the curfews is in our earlier report.
Who the Steelers left behind
Receiver Ben Skowronek (calf) and cornerback Brandin Echols (hamstring) were ruled out on Thursday and did not travel. Defensive end Sebastian Joseph-Day went on injured reserve with a triceps injury before practice. T.J. Watt was limited with a calf injury after resting on Wednesday, and Jalen Ramsey (wrist), Rico Dowdle (knee) and Alex Highsmith (groin) were also limited. Cam Heyward had a rest day and safety DeShon Elliott practiced fully as he works back from injured reserve.
Mike McCarthy chose to leave after Thursday’s practice rather than early in the week. “The reality is, I always try to stick to the basics, the hydration, the sleep, to make sure you give the men the best opportunity to prepare, to perform, and then ultimately stay in as normal of a flow of preparation as you can,” he said. “We looked at both options, and we clearly feel that this one, leaving Thursday, is the best one for us.”
Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio made the same trip with the Vikings last season, to Dublin and then London. “Every time I’ve went over there, I’ve left on Thursday after practice, and it really never has been an issue,” he said. “You get some sleep on the plane, you wake up, and then you’re working like it’s 9 a.m.” Ray Fittipaldo, who covers the team in Pittsburgh, said Friday’s session in France will be a no-sweat walk-through, with a fuller practice at a different stadium on Saturday while the Saints use the Stade de France. McCarthy’s thinking on the trip is in our Steelers travel story.
The Saints: Ruiz still out, Kamara limited
The Saints held their second practice in France on Thursday at their base outside Versailles. Guard Cesar Ruiz (knee) missed practice again, Daniel Carlson was still in the United States awaiting the birth of his child, and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux had a rest day. Alvin Kamara (back), Kaden Elliss (calf) and Anfernee Jennings (knee) were limited for a second day. Asked whether he would play on Sunday, Elliss said, “Yes.” C.J. Donaldson (shoulder) was upgraded to full, and Tyler Shough (left hand), Kool-Aid McKinstry (head), Nathan Shepherd (illness) and Spencer Rattler, newly listed with a knee issue, all practiced fully.
John DeShazier, the Saints’ senior writer, reports from Thursday’s practice in France.
Friday brings Storm Austen. Météo-France has raised the Yvelines, the department that includes Versailles, and the Val-d’Oise to orange alert for wind, with gusts of up to 100 km/h, while Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis stay on yellow. The strongest winds are expected from late morning into mid-afternoon. Kellen Moore’s plan for the week, including Saturday’s walk-through at the stadium, is in our Saints practice report.
What comes next (Cairo time)
- Friday, October 23, morning: the Steelers land in France and walk through; a government defence council meets at the Élysée at 10 a.m.
- Friday, October 23: Storm Austen, with the strongest gusts around midday and early afternoon; NFL House open 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.; final injury reports for both teams
- Saturday, October 24: Hail Mary at the Petit Pont, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; protesters gather at Bastille from 1 p.m.; Saints walk through at the Stade de France; Steelers practice elsewhere
- Every night until Monday: curfew at République and Châtelet–Les Halles, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Paris time (midnight to 7 a.m. in Cairo until France changes its clocks early on Sunday, then 1 a.m. to 8 a.m.)
- Sunday, October 25, 4:30 p.m.: Steelers vs. Saints at the Stade de France
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