Pittsburgh Grinds Out 16-10 Win Despite New Orleans' Efficient Shough
Pittsburgh escaped New Orleans with a 16-10 win on October 25, a result that looks far uglier than the final score suggests. The story of this game was a Pittsburgh ground game that refused to quit and a New Orleans offense that moved the ball beautifully but couldn't find the end zone when it mattered most.
Jaylen Warren was the engine Pittsburgh needed. He carried 18 times for 101 yards, and while he didn't find the end zone, that workload appears to have been the difference-maker — keeping New Orleans' offense off the field and controlling the clock in a low-scoring grind. Rico Dowdle chipped in 9 carries for 41 yards and added 6 receptions for 45 yards, giving Pittsburgh a reliable check-down option that kept the chains moving. Aaron Rodgers did just enough: 19-of-30 for 212 yards and a touchdown, with Darnell Washington hauling in the lone scoring reception on a 4-yard grab. It wasn't pretty, but Pittsburgh's offense converted when it had to.
New Orleans' Tyler Shough, on the other hand, was genuinely impressive in a losing effort. He completed 30 of 38 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown — an efficiency number that looks like a winning performance on paper. Devaughn Vele was his most reliable weapon, pulling in 5 receptions for 54 yards and the Saints' only touchdown. The problem, and this is where New Orleans has to be frustrated, is that Shough's efficiency never translated into points. A 78.9 completion percentage and 278 yards producing just 10 points is a maddening equation, and it suggests the Saints left real scoring opportunities on the field.
Pittsburgh wins this one on the strength of its run game and a defense that apparently found ways to stiffen when it counted. New Orleans moved the ball — there's no disputing that — but Pittsburgh's formula of running Warren early, leaning on Rodgers for manageable throws, and letting Washington be a red-zone weapon in tight spaces proved just sufficient. The Saints will look at Shough's numbers and feel like they should have won this football game. Pittsburgh will take the W and not ask too many questions about how they got it.