The NFL’s first regular-season visit to France came down to one desperate dive. With New Orleans camped at the Pittsburgh 10-yard line midway through the third quarter, linebacker Payton Wilson stretched out to intercept Tyler Shough, and the Steelers held on for a 16-10 win at the Stade de France on Sunday.
The Saints were the nominal home side in Saint-Denis, but the stands often sounded like western Pennsylvania. Their best drive of the afternoon, 14 plays and 68 yards, ended with Wilson’s pick, and Pittsburgh turned the turnover into a field goal instead of conceding the lead.
Points were hard to find all day. Chris Boswell kicked three field goals, including a 47-yarder on the final play of the half for a 13-10 lead, and his opener made him the first player to score in an NFL game on French soil. Aaron Rodgers threw the Steelers’ only touchdown, a four-yard strike to tight end Darnell Washington, and finished with 212 passing yards. Jaylen Warren did the grinding with 101 rushing yards.
New Orleans had chances. Shough completed 30 of 38 passes, but a forced fumble at the goal line and a contested ruling on a Kendre Miller run near the stripe kept the Saints at 10 points, their lone touchdown coming on a one-yard throw on fourth down.
Pittsburgh have now won both of their overseas trips, after also taking the league’s first game in Dublin a year ago, and sit at 5-2. The Saints drop to 2-5 and face a long flight home to think about the yards they left in Paris.
