The Pittsburgh Steelers took full advantage of the bye week, and the changes made were obvious on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. The Steelers used a combination of power running from running back Najee Harris and an opportunistic defense to pull off the 20-10 win and improve to 3-6.
After having zero runs of 20 yards or more on the season, Pittsburgh got four on Sunday, and the changes to the run offense were obvious and inspiring. Harris finished with 99 yards rushing, and Jaylen Warren chipped in with 37. Quarterback Kenny Pickett ran for 51 yards and a touchdown, and even the wide receivers were involved in the ground game. All in all, Pittsburgh rushed for 217 yards with six different players getting carries.
Defensively, Pittsburgh picked off Saints quarterback Andy Dalton twice and sacked him twice. The team welcomed linebacker T.J. Watt back into the lineup, and fellow OLB Alex Highsmith reaped the rewards of lighter blocking assignments.
The win improves the Steelers’ record to 3-6 with eight games to play. Next week the Steelers welcome the Cincinnati Bengals to town with a chance to sweep the season series.
