Sunday NFL action kicks off with a matchup between the 2-4 New Orleans Saints and 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris. The Saints come into this game with the league's 20th ranked offense, but had their most balanced output of the season last Sunday in a win at the Giants. New Orleans will encounter a Pittsburgh defense that ranks 7th overall but has shown some potentially crucial vulnerabilities. Most of the early season Saints success came behind Tyler Shough and his receivers. We'll now look at how that passing game matches up against the Pittsburgh defenders.
Pittsburgh Steelers Pass Defense
- 204.3 yards per game (7th)
- 61.7% completion percentage
- 6 touchdowns (4th)
- 6 interceptions (6th)
- 16 sacks
- 35 QB hits
Steelers coverage has yet to allow a 300-yard passer. However, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watkins, and Daniel Jones have all managed over 265 passing yards in three of the last four weeks. Their pass rush has been strong, but Pittsburgh coverage has been a bit suspect even against barely average passing games from Cleveland and Indianapolis.
Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer corner Jamel Dean leads Pittsburgh with 8 passes broken up. Trailing him slightly is cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. with 7 breakups. Rookie third round pick Daylen Everette has 5, earning more playing time with each week. Jaquan Brisker is a playmaker at safety, but has been guilty of several bad angles in coverage support that's allowed big gains. Dean, Everette, Brisker, and safety Robert Spears-Jennings each have an interception. The wild card is Jalen Ramsey, no longer elite in coverage but still capable and also extremely disruptive (2 sacks) when used on the blitz.
Inside linebackers Payton Wilson, Patrick Queen, and Cole Holcomb are heady in Pittsburgh's zone scheme. Wilson and Holcomb lack Queen's athleticism, but step into passing lanes smartly to make plays. Steelers defensive linemen also do a great job at blocking a quarterback's line of sight, batting down 11 throws collectively.
Pittsburgh's pass rush, while inconsistent at times, can be relentless. Defensive end Cam Heyward, taken 31st in the same 2011 NFL Draft as Cameron Jordan (24th) of the Saints, has a sack and a handful of pressures. The Steelers are a bit thin on the defensive line with Derrick Harmon and Sebastian Joseph-Day on injured reserve, but nose tackle Keeanu Benton has also been disruptive. Pittsburgh has an incredible edge rush rotation with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nate Herbig, and Nate Sawyer. That group has 9.5 sacks and 16 QB hits, with Watt (4.5 sacks) and Highsmith (3) leading the charge but the underrated Herbig just as capable of creating havoc.
New Orleans Saints Passing Offense
- 224.2 yards per game (17th)
- 65.1% completion percentage
- 12 touchdowns (7th)
- 5 interceptions (19th)
- 13 sacks
New Orleans was among the NFL passing leaders over the first month, but that production had fallen off a bit in the last few games. Shough has taken among the most hits of any quarterback, as failures in pass protection have contributed to the lesser production.
Right tackle Taliese Fuaga and particularly Asim Richards on the left have struggled against opposing edge rushers. Coaching decisions have also often, inexplicably in the case of Richards, left each on an island one-on-one. On the inside, guards David Edwards, Cesar Ruiz, and center Erik McCoy have had a hard time picking up heavy interior blitzing. Ruiz (knee) may be replaced by rookie Jeremiah Wright at right guard. Wright is a mauler who played well against the Giants but is inexperienced.
In spite of the punishment, Tyler Shough has maintained good poise. He can hit every throw, escapes the rush well, and has hit some critical passes in big moments. The jury is out to some extent whether he's truly a franchise quarterback, but it is certainly trending that way.
Shough has incredible chemistry with wideouts Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and tight end Juwan Johnson. He doesn't hesitate going their direction in any situation. To their credit, Olave, Vele and Johnson have rewarded their quarterback's confidence with good routes and excellent catches against heavily contested coverages.
Olave leads the Saints with 43 receptions and 580 yards. Vele has 28 catches and 294 yards, with Johnson adding 248 yards on 25 receptions. The effectiveness of all three will go even higher with the emergence of other pass catching weapons. New Orleans has such potential, even with first round rookie wideout Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) still on injured reserve.
Saints running backs have not contributed much as pass catchers, though Alvin Kamara flashed his past brilliance with a terrific 31-yard swing pass for a score against the Giants. However, Kamara has a total of only 76 receiving yards on 15 receptions, a lowly average of 5.1 per catch. Tight ends Noah Fant and rookie Oscar Delp are each capable of creating mismatches when the Saints go to two and three tight end sets. Rookie wideouts Bryce Lance and Barion Brown have yet to make a major impact, but each have flashed intriguing big-play potential as the offense looks to get them more involved.
New Orleans receivers and tight ends look to have a major advantage over the Steelers secondary. However, the major challenge for the offense will be keeping a dangerous Pittsburgh pass rush off Shough to take advantage. The Saints used their backs and an extra tight end to slow a similarly athletic New York edge rush last week. They'd be wise to employ a similar approach this week, allowing Shough the time to let intermediate routes develop.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints passing attack, Steelers pass defense a marquee Sunday showdown