2026 NFL Paris Game Press Conferences: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints
October 25, 2026
Stade de France
Steelers 16, Saints 10
New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough
Q. Tyler, Kaden said you broke everything down after the game in the locker room. Can you share with us a little bit of what you said?
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, I said we have the right dudes in the building. We’re trending in the right direction. We were a couple plays away from winning that game. We’re doing the right things, moving the ball. We have to fix some things in the run game.
But I think more than anything, our play style, the leadership, the message is there. We’re right there but we don’t need to be right there. We need to be ascending towards where we want to be. That’s greatness and that’s playoff football. I think we’re capable of that, but right now we have to evaluate and we have to fix those things.
Q. For the run game in particular, how challenging is it in a game with so few rushing yards?
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, it’s not sustainable as far as they’re going to — they know what’s coming in certain situations and they’re a good defense. They’re one of the top paid defenses in football, and they’re a veteran group, very well-coached.
But we felt like we can move the ball at will. I felt like we were doing a good job of that and seeing things clean. We just kind of came up short a couple of drives where we need points there. It starts with me too. On that interception he made a really good play on that, so great job by him.
But I can kind of move on from that or go to the next progression or step up and run. Again, it’s tough when you’re living in that world, but I think it’s something we can build off of and continue to learn from.
Q. Did you want that to be outside or…
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, I was trying to throw it away from him. He kind of undercut it and made a really good play. Was the right place to go. I got to put it a little bit more outside, so that’s on me.
Great play. If it’s not clean, just got to move on. So great drive. That whole entire time we were moving it. We have to figure out a way to finish there and I can do a better job of that.
Q. Re: Hand
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, I don’t remember the film or play, but I just kind of felt I got hit and tried to reach in and grab it, but nothing happened. It’s fine. Just some discomfort.
Q. Re: Hand
TYLER SHOUGH: No, just some pain. Doesn’t matter.
Q. When you say it’s not sustainable, you mean trying to run an offense without a running game?
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah. We have to figure out a way to run the ball better in order to open up some other things. We have a really dynamic passing game and we can attack them in different ways and we were able to do that.
But in order to win against defenses like that, and you saw it kind of later in the game, they were able to just read and batted some balls down. It’s tough in those scenarios whenever you have to get it out. They did a good job of that, but it starts with us being better.
Q. Re: Pittsburgh defense
TYLER SHOUGH: No, we knew they were going to be spot drop zone team and they’re one high in their quarters, and whenever we played man, we were kind of able to attack them and just finding different spots.
They sunk out, so was getting to those check downs and we were getting some yards after catch and things like that. Again, we were playing clean football in there. We just had a couple of plays that we have to be able to finish better.
And like I said, that one down there wouldn’t really change much; throw it outside more and I own that for sure. Other times we have to be able to finish in the red zone.
So, I think other than that, man, like I said, good team, we got a really good team. We just got to keep climbing.
Q. Were you able to have fun here in France together?
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, I think the entire organization, the Saint’s organization, NFL France, the NFL did a great job this setup. This entire week we had great practices, the meeting rooms, hotel, it was an unbelievable opportunity for us.
We wanted the result to be different, but we were very thankful to be here, especially the country and city of Paris hosting us. I think there’s definitely a future here for the New Orleans Saints to keep playing, and any NFL team.
So very proud of that. At the end of the day, it sucks losing but we’re very thankful for the opportunity.
Q. Did you ever feel not safe here? Because there was a lot of talk moving the game to somewhere else.
TYLER SHOUGH: No. Again, we felt completely safe. It was a great setup. We were able to go out and sightsee in Paris and visit. It was a great opportunity, especially for our families as well. We were game planning, pretty much locked in the entire week, but we had that first day here to go out and see, again, just an unbelievable setup by the NFL and NFL France as well.
We’re very thankful, and we’re going to be ready to come back and continue climbing.
Q. Re: Stade de France atmosphere
TYLER SHOUGH: I thought it was an awesome atmosphere. It was really cool coming out there as a home team, getting your guys introduced. It thought the fans were very active. Very nice, very polite, and still very rowdy at the same time, too.
I think that’s the best part of American football, the passion of the fans, and it was a great atmosphere, beautiful stadium. Couldn’t ask for a better situation and set up to go play.
Q. Re: Returning to France:
TYLER SHOUGH: I hope so. I hope we come back. Obviously, that’s the goal. We want to have that connection with Paris and France. And, again, we had such a great time here. We got so much better this week. It was our best week of practice preparation-wise. Just came up short there, but we’re very, very grateful.
Q. Re: Preparation
TYLER SHOUGH: Man, I mean, they practiced too. They had a good plan. They did a good job. They were a good defense, and they’re obviously very talented offensively too. So it kind of came down they were able to hold on to the ball and run it in some decent scenarios, and we kind of came up short there and weren’t able to sustain some of the runs.
It’s tough in those scenarios when I have those limited opportunities, but at the same time, we felt confident. I think more than anything, you have a great week of practice, great energy it gives you a chance. We had a chance to win that game. That wasn’t the issue at all. Again, I think we’re doing the right things and it’s going to click.
Q. Schematically, were there any things the Steelers did that you could have seen better or prepared a little better or just better game play?
TYLER SHOUGH: I’m not sure at this moment. Got to evaluate the film and look at it, especially after the game. But I think it’s a combination of all those things. I think at the end of the day, they did a good job and they beat us and they won.
We got to figure out how we can solve those things. But at the same time, we had those opportunities. We had chances. In the NFL especially, playing against good teams, that’s all you can ask for.
Q. (Inaudible) a lot more involved today on offense.
TYLER SHOUGH: He’s an unbelievable player, unbelievable person. It’s just a reflection of his work ethic, who he is, his dynamic ability. He’s so good. Blocking-wise, it was unbelievable what he can do to just effort-wise dig out safeties, physicality. He’s not a massive person but he had great effort, and I was happy for him to be able to get some targets as well and some really big plays.
He’s obviously a dynamic returner, so we’re going to need him as much as we can in the future.
Q. (Inaudible)
TYLER SHOUGH: No, it was a post. I saw the safety cut the over and Barion just made a really good play using his feet, made a really good catch and we got everything we wanted there from that standpoint.
Q. Re: Offensive execution
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, we want to create as many explosive plays and big plays as we can and have that excitement, especially for the French fans. But at the same time, it’s a tough game, it’s a tough sport, so analytical. There are so many different components that come into it, and that’s a really hard-fought football game playing against a good team in the Steelers, too.
So every game is different. There could be 45-40 games or lower-scoring games, but at the same time, we have to manage those situations and that’s the best part about American football.
So just like in football here in France, sometimes you’re going to have 1-0 games or 4-2 games. I think more than anything, taking advantage of those chances that we get and we got to be better here.
Q. Re: Fan reaction to the interception
TYLER SHOUGH: No, it didn’t affect me at all. I think it was just a good football play and great energy all around from all the fans. So, no, just part of it.
Q. Tyler, a lot surrounds process and results and that gets a lot of attention from outside. Just to give context from your perspective, when the results aren’t necessarily what you’re looking for, how do you know and what is your — what gives you the confidence in the process?
TYLER SHOUGH: Yeah, I think individually and collectively when we have those opportunities, and maybe something went slightly wrong but the process, the effort, the play style or operation is there, those are great signs we’re doing the right things.
Sometimes that guy made a good play or a guy can make a good play too. That’s why they’re paid a lot of money as well. You can’t really get tied up in the result of oh, man, that was an interception or that was a loss or we got sacked here.
