Run offense and defense, penalties plague New Orleans Saints in loss to Pittsburgh

The times have been fleeting this season when the New Orleans Saints haven’t been their own worst enemy. On Sunday, in a 20-10 loss to the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, New Orleans (3-7) again did a plethora of things that, when accumulated, make it really hard for a team to win an NFL game. And while the Saints still remain very much in play in the NFC South Division with seven regular-season games remaining, they still are seeking the consistency that would allow them to make a run.

OFFENSE: The Saints haven’t been able to run the ball in their last two games, both losses. After totaling just 48 rushing yards on 15 carries against the Ravens, New Orleans followed up with 29 yards on 15 carries against the Steelers, who entered the game allowing 118 rushing yards per game. Part of that was the inability to possess the football – the Saints were 3 for 12 on third down, and the lack of offensive snaps (45, compared to 79 for Pittsburgh) directly reflected New Orleans’ time of possession (21:04). The Saints consistently weren’t able to work themselves into favorable down-and-distance situations, and the byproduct of that is having to turn to the passing game. However, with opposing defenses knowing you have to pass, that makes the task much more difficult; one-dimensional offenses are what defenses want. New Orleans completed 17 of 28 passes for 174 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. If New Orleans can’t balance out the offense, and get some third-down conversions, it’ll continue to see the kinds of numbers it has the last two games.