Can Kellen Moore Outcoach Mike McCarthy in Saints vs. Steelers in Paris Showdown?

The New Orleans Saints didn't travel all the way to Paris just to sightsee. They came to get a win, and Sunday's battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers could come down to one question:

Which coach can impose his style first: Kellen Moore or Mike McCarthy?

This matchup has a little extra spice because Moore once worked under McCarthy as offensive coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys. The teacher knows the student, and the student certainly knows the teacher.

But when the football starts flying in Paris, I'm putting my money on Moore's creativity giving New Orleans the edge.

Mike McCarthy has been around the NFL long enough to know how to win ugly, and that's exactly what worries me.

Pittsburgh doesn't need fireworks. McCarthy would probably love a physical, possession-based game where New Orleans gets impatient, turns the football over and allows the Steelers to control the fourth quarter.

The Saints cannot fall into that trap. New Orleans has to make Pittsburgh chase the game instead of allowing the Steelers to dictate it.

That's where Moore comes in.

If there was ever a game for Moore to get creative, this is it.

Use motion. Move Chris Olave around. Get Alvin Kamara matched against linebackers. Give Tyler Shough quick throws early and let him develop some rhythm.

Make Pittsburgh think before the snap.

The Saints don't need Shough playing superhero football. They need him distributing the ball and taking what Pittsburgh gives him.

And please for the love of football, if New Orleans finds something that's working, keep attacking it.

Too many times we see NFL offenses grab momentum and suddenly become conservative. Against an experienced coach like McCarthy, that's how you turn a comfortable afternoon into a fourth-quarter headache.

This might be the most important part of Sunday's game. Protect. The. Football. Pittsburgh is exactly the type of team that will happily take a turnover, short field and ugly victory back home.

New Orleans needs patience without becoming passive. Let me be clear, there's a big difference between the two.

Moore can still be aggressive while giving Shough manageable situations. Establish Kamara. Use the short passing game. Take selective shots downfield when Pittsburgh starts creeping toward the line.

The key for this game is to force McCarthy to adjust to you.

McCarthy unquestionably owns the experience advantage. But sometimes familiarity works both ways.

Moore spent years inside McCarthy's offensive system. He understands how McCarthy thinks, prepares and attacks defenses.

Now he gets an opportunity to show the teacher what the student has learned.

And I believe Moore's willingness to be creative gives New Orleans the better chance to win this particular matchup.

The Saints don't need to out-Pittsburgh Pittsburgh. They need to make Pittsburgh play Saints football.

This game feels bigger than another checkmark on the schedule.

Winning in Paris would give the Saints another victory, build momentum and send a message that this team isn't ready to disappear quietly.

That's why I want Kellen Moore coaching aggressively Sunday. Don't travel across the Atlantic and play scared football.

Get Kamara involved. Feed Olave. Give Shough easy completions. Take your shots. Bring pressure defensively. And if New Orleans gets Pittsburgh down?

Keep your foot on the gas with NO BRAKES. McCarthy brings experience to Paris, but Moore brings creativity, familiarity and something to prove.

Sometimes the student eventually beats the teacher.