The biggest matchup on the field Sunday when the New Orleans Saints take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris will happen on the edge of the Steelers’ offensive line.
Saints edge rushers Chase Young and Carl Granderson both rank in the top-10 of NFL defenders in sacks and will match up against a pair of sound players in their first years at their respective tackle positions in the NFL.
Former 2024 first-round selection Troy Fautanu has moved from right tackle to left tackle this season after the Steelers selected rookie Max Iheanachor in the first round of the 2026 draft to play right tackle.
Both tackles have allowed double-disgust pressures on the season but only three sacks combined.
Meanwhile, Young and Granderson have combined for 9.5 sacks through the first six games, with Granderson missing one of the contests.
Getting to and making contact with Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be the quickest and most effective way to lock down Pittsburgh’s offense. Meanwhile, dealing with the edge in the run game will keep the team from striving for balance.
When under pressure, Rodgers’ passer rating drops from 94.3 to 72.2 and his completion percentage falls to 45.5 from 67.7 when kept clean in the pocket. Getting pressure will be much more important than trying to send extra rushers with the veteran’s passer enjoying a solid rating of 82.5 when facing the blitz.
Getting pressure with the defensive line up front will be very important for New Orleans, magnifying the importance of Young and Granderson’s success.
The matchups on the edge alone could very well decide the result of Sunday’s first-ever NFL game played in Paris with a pair of veteran edge rushers looking to find success against two young offensive tackles.
