Thank goodness that’s over. The New Orleans Saints lost a miserable game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, looking outmatched defensively by one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Their offense couldn’t overcome injuries along the line, and Andy Dalton wilted under pressure from one of his old AFC North rivals. It was hard to watch.
Still, the season goes on. Let’s recap Week 10 for the Saints:
Final score: Steelers 20, Saints 10
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| New Orleans (3-7) | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Pittsburgh (3-6) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
Injury outlook
Starting left tackle James Hurst left the game after entering the NFL concussion protocol, being replaced by second-year backup Landon Young. His absence meant the Saints were without three of their five starting offensive linemen, having ruled out left guard Andrus Peat and center Erik McCoy before kickoff with injuries of their own.
Special teams ace J.T. Gray, a free safety, also exited the game with what appeared to be a lower leg injury. The team did not announce any update to his status or specific ailment.
It was over when...
…the Steelers scored their third and final touchdown of the afternoon, with rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett diving into the end zone from a yard out. It put the game firmly out of reach for a Saints offense that was shut out in three of the four quarters of play.
With so many offensive linemen out of the picture and no run game to support the passing attack, the Saints were just outdone by a Steelers defense that hasn’t exactly been setting the world on fire this season. With too many low moments on defense and too many gaffes on special teams, they were outplayed in all phases. This score by Pittsburgh was the punctuation mark on a game to forget.
Saints' top performers
- Passing: QB Andy Dalton completed 17 of 27 attempts for 174 passing yards, scoring 1 touchdown pass while throwing 2 interceptions and taking 2 sacks for a loss of 17 yards
- Rushing: RB Alvin Kamara totaled 8 carries for 26 rushing yards, with a long of 14 yards … TE Taysom Hill totaled 3 carries for 1 yard, with a long of 1 yard
- Receiving: TE Juwan Johnson caught 5 receptions for 44 receiving yards (off of 7 targets), catching 1 touchdown pass … WR Chris Olave caught 3 receptions for 40 receiving yards (5 targets) … WR Jarvis Landry caught 3 receptions for 37 yards (6 targets)
- Defense: S P.J. Williams led the team with 11 tackles (9 solo) … LB Demario Davis had 8 tackles (3 solo, 1 tackle for loss) … DT Malcolm Roach had 7 tackles (5 solo, 1 tackle for loss) with 1 sack and 1 quarterback hit … LB Kaden Elliss had 7 tackles (3 solo, 1 tackle for loss) with 1 sack and 1 quarterback hit
Team stats
- Third and fourth downs, offense: 3-of-13 (23.1%)
- Third downs and fourth, defense: 10-of-18 (55.6%)
- Total yards, offense: 186 yards gained on 45 plays (4.1 yards per play)
- Total yards, defense: 379 yards allowed on 79 plays (4.8 yards per play)
- Penalties against the Saints: 10 fouls for 74 yards, 6 first downs
- Penalties benefiting the Saints: 3 fouls for 40 yards, 1 first down
- Time of possession: 21:04 for New Orleans, 38:56 for Pittsburgh
What's next?
Is a quarterback change on the way? Maybe. Saints head coach Dennis Allen hasn’t entertained the idea when asked in recent weeks, but it’s getting to a point where the Saints need to just start pulling levers and pushing buttons and trying new things until something sticks. Winston is just as prone to turnovers as Dalton has been with bigger struggles on third downs, and he would also be dealing with the same protection issues and inconsistent support from the running game. But what other options do they have, assuming Taysom Hill’s days at quarterback are behind him?
Whoever is quarterbacking the Saints next week will have to be focused on staying out of Aaron Donald’s arms. The Los Angeles Rams are visiting the Caesars Superdome, and it’s unclear who their quarterback will be with Matthew Stafford managing an injury. Donald is the same sort of game-breaking force up front as T.J. Watt, so it might not matter who is throwing for either team. The future Hall of Famer will be a massive challenge for the patchwork Saints offensive line.
