New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough tried to single-handedly lift his team against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris, but the Saints' run game reached new depths in a 16-10 Week 7 loss. Shough led the team with just 7 rushing yards and completed 30-of-38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown, but also threw an interception in the red zone in the third quarter. The Saints averaged only 1.06 yards per rush, the fewest for any team with at least 15 attempts since the Panthers in 2017. It marked just the third time in franchise history that no Saints player rushed for at least 10 yards.
"Seventeen runs for 18 yards, it's going to be hard to win football games doing that," said New Orleans coach Kellen Moore. The struggling run game was so dire that even 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers scrambled for 8 yards — more than several Saints players including Alvin Kamara (5) and Kendre Miller (6).
Shough, who entered the game dealing with a left hand injury and took a hit to his right hand during the contest, admitted the lack of a run game isn't sustainable. "They know what's coming in certain situations and they're a good defense," he said of the Steelers. The one-dimensional attack limited the Saints' ability to open up their dynamic passing game.
Despite the loss, Shough's performance through the air stood out as a bright spot amid the offensive struggles.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing