The New Orleans Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in an overseas Week 7 game between two teams heading in different directions. Pittsburgh is 4-2 after a 26-19 overtime win over Tampa Bay, while New Orleans is 2-4 after beating the Giants 34-27. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET.
With both teams coming off big wins in Week 6, let's take a look at the matchup and the bold predictions for Week 7 in Paris, France.
Chris Boswell kicks five field goals, two from 50-plus
Boswell is 13-for-17 on field goals this season, including 4-for-6 from 50-plus yards. Against Tampa Bay he went 4-for-5, with makes from 52 and 58 yards. That was his second straight game with multiple field goals.
New Orleans allows 29.7 points and 377.7 yards per game. Those numbers suggest Pittsburgh will move the ball. Some of those drives will stall before the end zone, and that is where Boswell scores.
The prediction goes beyond another solid outing. Boswell makes five field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. The limitation is his four misses this season, which show he is not automatic from long range.
Tyler Shough throws two interceptions
Shough has a 12:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio through six games. He threw only 144 yards against the Giants, though he scored four touchdowns in total. He is also playing through broken bones in his non-throwing hand, which may explain why he has just 242 passing yards over the last two weeks.
Predicting two interceptions means Shough nearly matches his early-season total in one afternoon. The route to that outcome is straightforward. Pittsburgh's lead will push New Orleans into longer passing situations, and an injured hand makes tight-window throws harder.
The call is that one pass is tipped and picked off in the second half, while another is forced into coverage on a late drive. Those turnovers would turn a competitive game into a Steelers cushion.
There is a counterpoint. Shough has produced touchdowns despite modest yardage, so this prediction depends on game script more than on his recent efficiency.
Chris Olave posts 120 yards and two touchdowns in a losing rally
Article Continues BelowOlave had double-digit targets in each of the first four games. Over the last two he has seen only 13 targets, producing an 8-89-1 line. That drop in volume looks like the sort of dip that corrects itself.
Pittsburgh's defense will give him room to correct it. New Orleans' opponents have averaged 256.0 passing yards per game, which suggests quarterbacks can find openings in this matchup. Rookie Germie Bernard's 11-catch, 87-yard, one-touchdown game against the Steelers' last opponent shows how that kind of volume can arise.
Olave reaches 10 targets, 120 yards and two touchdowns as New Orleans chases points. Those scores help the Saints cut a two-score deficit to three points late in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh still holds on. The prediction is Steelers 31, Saints 27, with Boswell's late field goal sealing it. If Jordyn Tyson makes his debut after traveling with the team while recovering from a hamstring injury, the Saints' receiving group could be even more dangerous.
These are deliberately high-variance predictions, not the most likely outcomes. The underlying numbers favor Pittsburgh, but turnovers and a motivated passing offense can make this matchup less predictable than the records suggest.