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Hoping to build momentum ahead of their upcoming bye week after a major victory last week, the New Orleans Saints instead fell 16-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in Paris, exposing several recurring issues under coach Kellen Moore.
New Orleans' offensive struggles continued as missed scoring opportunities proved costly as the Saints fell to 2-5.
From an emerging young playmaker to a disastrous rushing performance, here is a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from the Saints' disappointing loss to Pittsburgh.
The Good: Barion Brown shows versatility
One of the few bright spots in New Orleans' disappointing loss was rookie wide receiver Barion Brown's emergence.
The sixth-round pick got a chance to show his explosiveness, finishing with three receptions for 57 yards and adding another 97 yards on four kickoff returns.
His biggest offensive play came in the first half when he caught a 49-yard pass from Tyler Shough, setting up Daniel Carlson's 38-yard field goal.
Brown also returned a kickoff 42 yards in the second quarter, setting up a possession that ended with Shough's 1-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele.
Despite those contributions, Brown received just three targets.
That limited involvement raises questions about whether coach Kellen Moore is maximizing one of the offense's most explosive young playmakers.
With rookie Jordyn Tyson still sidelined by a hamstring injury, Brown has a chance to become a more consistent contributor alongside Chris Olave and Vele.
New Orleans gets a vital jolt on offense from Brown's explosive speed and big-play dynamism.
Following a sluggish 281-yard performance against Pittsburgh, integrating him must become a top priority for the Saints. To fully leverage the rookie's skill set, Moore ought to scheme designed touches, vertical routes and run-after-catch opportunities for him. Given how much he has delivered on minimal opportunities, Brown has earned a larger role.
The Bad: Daniel Carlson's Field Goal Struggles Continue
In a narrow 16-10 loss to Pittsburgh, kicker Daniel Carlson missed a crucial 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter — his fourth failure in 11 attempts this season. This ongoing volatility in special teams poses a critical problem for the 2-5 Saints.
The fourth-quarter miss was particularly damaging because New Orleans had already wasted a promising red-zone opportunity earlier in the second half. Rather than positioning themselves to tie or take the lead with a field goal late in the game, the Saints remained trapped in a six-point deficit.
Carlson's 63.6% conversion rate stands in sharp contrast to Steelers kicker Chris Boswell, who accounted for nine points by flawlessly making all three of his field goals (from 28, 47 and 39 yards).
With three one-score defeats recorded this year, New Orleans simply lacks the margin for error to withstand repeated scoring blunders in tight contests. Carlson's continuous field goal woes add to head coach Kellen Moore's list of bye-week priorities, as unreliable special teams only exacerbate the team's offensive stalls, defensive breakdowns and turnovers.
The Ugly: The Saints' rushing attack reached an extreme low point
While much of the focus has centered on Tyler Shough's growth, an inept rushing attack still severely limits the Saints' offensive ceiling.
Sunday's outing represented a new low point for the ground game.
New Orleans generated a paltry 18 rushing yards across 17 carries, resulting in an abysmal 1.1 yards per carry.
The stat line is even more damning because Shough — a quarterback whose primary role isn't to lead the run game — was the team's top rusher with just 7 yards on three carries.
It is downright appalling that primary backs Alvin Kamara (six carries, five yards) and Kendre Miller (eight carries, six yards) both logged more rush attempts than total yards gained.
This embarrassing output highlights a backfield without a true lead option, further compounded by an offensive line that failed to establish leverage up front.
Such complete non-production is intolerable at any level of football—especially when relying on a developing quarterback to sustain drive after drive.
By stifling the run, Pittsburgh's defense put the burden entirely on Shough's shoulders.
Even with Shough connecting on nearly 79% of his passes, New Orleans repeatedly stalled because it lacked offensive balance.
Unfortunately, this isn't merely a single bad afternoon.
The Saints' season-long inability to establish the run has made the offense predictable and easy for physical front sevens to counter.
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