Steelers Analyst Throws Shade at New Orleans Saints Before Sunday Matchup

The New Orleans Saints are underdogs heading into their game in France against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Paris game presents an opportunity for the Saints to build serious momentum against a second consecutive team with a winning record.

The Saints may see it as a chance to begin to rewrite the story of their season. The Steelers have a different perspective.

Pittsburgh has been far from perfect this season, but one analyst believes it's the Saints whose weaknesses will be exploited on Sunday.

Jacob Punturi of Pittsburgh Steelers on SI made his prediction for the game. Here's what he had to say about the Steelers' chances of controlling the game and taking home a win back to the U.S.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers will defeat the New Orleans Saints in their international Week 7 meeting. The Steelers meet the Saints in Paris, France, looking for their fifth victory of the season.

Running back Jaylen Warren is coming off a disappointing outing compared to his previous three monstrous performances, but he's set for a rebound against the Saints. The biggest reason for this is because New Orleans has not produced a good run defense in 2026.

Through their first six contests, the Saints are allowing 138 rushing yards per game. That figure ranks as the third-worst in the NFL so far. The Saints are one of the worst-performing defenses so far in 2026, but they are especially vulnerable against the run. That's a perfect scenario for Warren to return to his 100-yard rushing form and possibly even more.

Another factor is the health of Rico Dowdle. He enters Week 7 questionable with a knee injury. If he can't go at 100%, the Steelers will be heavily reliant on Warren."

It's tough to argue that the Saints will rebut those claims with their performance on Sunday. New Orleans has struggled to stop anything and certainly opposing rushing attacks have been part of the Saints' defensive struggles.

The reality is the Saints defense performed much better in 2025 than they have this year. It's part of why many are so surprised at how poorly they have played this season.

Still, New Orleans made strides both on offense and defense against the New York Giants in their last game. Now, they're optimistic about continued growth against the Steelers.

Look for them to make an effort to challenge perception with a win on Sunday.