The New Orleans Saints broke their four game losing streak with a victory over the New York Giants. It wasn't a pretty victory, but it was a victory. That's more than one could say about the Saints vs the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Saints' once again had a lackluster offensive performance that included the patented slow start. The momentum we saw against the Giants? Clearly fool's gold.
Final. pic.twitter.com/KXImwDaGQ5
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) October 25, 2026
Saints prove they are who we thought they were
Run game is back to normal
The run game was one of the biggest stories coming out of last week's victory over the New York Giants. Jeremiah Wright entered the game and a switch was flipped. One thing that doesn't get discussed much is the Giants are one of the worst run defenses in the league.
The Steelers are not, and the difference was noticeable. Kendre Miller had 70 yards last week, but any hope derived from that showing was quickly dashed. The Saints failed to reach 20 yards as a team against the Steelers.
This is the run game that we've become used to watching. It's frustrating to see the team try to run the ball because it's consistently difficult to get limited yardage. At one point, Kurt Warner even questioned why the Saints even run the football because it's wasted yards.
Saints need to use Barion Brown more on offense
There were two plays that perfectly showcase what Barion Brown's role should be in Kellen Moore's system. The fact that his speed is largely used as a trick play guy has a been of a waste. They did that in this game, and fooled no one, but when used as a real receiver, Brown can be dangerous.
Early in the game, Brown caught a bomb down the field 49 yards. This is what we saw from him all preseason, and the Saints have chosen to not use him much in that way during the regular season.
Then later, the team called a screen for Brown, and he showed his ability to run with the ball in his hands. It put the team in a manageable situation, and that's all you're really looking for out of a play like that.
Kellen Moore said the team views Brown as more than just a return specialist, but that's not reflected in his usage. It needs to be moving forward.
Wasted opportunities killed the Saints
Daniel Carlson missed a field goal, and Tyler Shough threw his first career red zone interception. That took at least six points off the board. The team lost by six points. This one doesn't need to be drawn out.
The Saints defense kept the score low, but the margin of error was small for the offense. Those two plays in scoring position was unacceptable.
Chase Young and Carl Granderson have become a strong pass rushing duo
The Saints fell in this game so it's not going to be discussed much, but Granderson has been on a run since returning from injury. He's had 1.5 sacks in each of the last three games. His 5.5 sacks are near his season total of 6 sacks last year.
Granderson has been joined by Chase Young in his run. Young has also had 1.5 sacks in the last two games. The duo has been on a strong stretch, but the Saints haven't impressed as a team. It won't get any attention because of that.
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