The Saints had high hopes for their big week in Paris, but head back to New Orleans with a 2-5 record and questions following their 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Stade de France on Sunday.
asserted
Saints → have → Sunday
“We got to dig into it.
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We → got → it
We got to evaluate it,” coach Kellen Moore said.
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Moore → got → it
“We got to take the emotion out of it.
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We → got → it
We’re all frustrated and there’s a lot of emotions with it.
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We → ’re → it
You have to take the emotion out of it and truly just evaluate it and find what the next steps are.”
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steps → have → it
Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had kicked off the week calling for patience for a “young, developing team.”
But their 38-year-old coach fielded plenty of questions about changes, especially about a run game that produced just 18 yards.
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that → kick → yards
The Saints have a bye next week, which offers time to make improvements, Moore said.
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Moore → have → improvements
Moore, in his second year in charge, was asked at what point he’ll consider changes.
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he → ask → changes
“Any time you go into a bye week, you go into evaluation mode as far as identifying the things you need to work on and solving those,” he said.
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he → go → those
He was then asked if that includes possible staff changes.
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that → ask → changes
“We just got to evaluate everything.
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We → got → everything
I’m not going to jump to anything right now,” Moore said.
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Moore → go → anything
“We just got to get better, and we’ll focus on that.
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we → got → that
Moore said he didn’t think kicker Daniel Carlson’s late arrival to Paris this week — his wife was about to give birth — was a factor in him missing wide right on a 52-yard field-goal attempt in the fourth quarter.
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him → say → quarter
But when asked about changes in the kicking game, the coach said: “I think it’s fair to say we have to evaluate that and go through that process in the bye week.”
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we → ask → week
Shough speaks up
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Shough → speak → ?
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough accepted blame for throwing a red zone interception in the third quarter.
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Shough → accept → quarter
Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson stepped in front of a short pass intended for Chris Olave.
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Wilson → step → Olave
I got to put it a little bit more outside, so that’s on me,” Shough said.
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Shough → got → me
The Steelers then went the other way and Chris Boswell’s 39-yard field goal increased their lead to 16-10.
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goal → go → 16
After the game, Shough spoke to the locker room.
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Shough → speak → room
“I said we have the right dudes in the building.
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we → say → building
We’re trending in the right direction.
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We → trend → direction
We were a couple plays away from winning that game,” he said.
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he → win → game
“We’re doing the right things, moving the ball.
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We → do → ball
We have to fix some things in the run game.”
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We → have → game
Linebacker Kaden Elliss called Shough a “great leader” and said although the defense held Pittsburgh to 16 points, “you need some more three-and-outs, some takeaways, some opportunities where you really give the ball back to the offense with momentum.”
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you → call → momentum
Alvin Kamara caught seven passes for 57 yards.
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Kamara → catch → yards
Shough’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele on fourth-and-goal from the 1 had tied the game at 10-10 late in the second quarter.
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pass → tie → quarter
“We need to be ascending toward where we want to be,” Shough said.
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Shough → need → ?
“That’s greatness and that’s playoff football.
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that → ’ → ?
We’re capable of that, but right now we have to evaluate and we have to fix those things.”
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we → ’re → things
New Orleans hasn’t reached the playoffs since the 2020 season.
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Orleans → reach → season
The Saints came under pressure after a 1-4 start when team owner Gayle Benson she would “not accept this level of performance.”
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she → come → performance
They responded by beating the New York Giants 34-27 before flying directly to the French capital.
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They → respond → capital
They are the only team with NFL-assigned marketing rights in France and have used French-language social media channels to attract fans.
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They → assign → fans
Benson has helped raise funds for the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral.
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Benson → help → Cathedral
She was among VIPs who met with French President Emmanuel Macron to “discuss Sunday’s game and the long-term future of the NFL in Paris.”
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who → meet → Paris
The Aporia
