Steelers Quickly Facing Major Disadvantage For International France Game Against Saints

The Pittsburgh Steelers were the home team during a very exciting game in Dublin, Ireland early on in the 2025 season. It had been a while since the organization played overseas, but the team got the job done. Changing time zones and mixing up routines can be challenging for players and coaches alike, which is why some may not have been too thrilled about the breaking news from Tuesday evening that stated the franchise would be traveling to Paris, France, to take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 7 of the 2026 campaign. For the second year in a row, the roster will be thrown for a loop.

Team Owner Art Rooney II should be one of the individuals who is very happy with the news, given the fact that the Steelers' brand and reputation is continuing to expand across the globe. He seemed to be excited during an announcement on Wednesday morning.

Like Ireland, France is going to be five hours ahead of the time in Pittsburgh. It will be interesting to see if the team takes the same approach travel-wise, particularly because a new head coach is running the show. To make matters a little more interesting for the Steelers, the veteran leader in Mike McCarthy will actually be in uncharted waters, and that could put the franchise at a disadvantage.

The good news for the organization is that a majority of the returning players have some familiarity with this process because of the Dublin experience. However, when the head coach is the individual calling all the shots, but doesn't have any prior knowledge to lean on, it could end up being a little more complicated than fans think.

For New Orleans, head coach Kellen Moore did not prepare for an international matchup in 2025 during his first season as head coach, but he was the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles when they traveled to São Paulo, Brazil in 2024. McCarthy has years of experience on him, but somehow, Moore will be slightly more equipped to handle a game that will not be played in the United States.

On top of Moore's touch of experience coaching internationally, the Eagles did not hold back and scored 34 points in the matchup. The time change wasn't that drastic, especially compared to going to France; however, any time a team full of professional athletes has its routine messed up, it can cause a serious lag in play early on in that specific game.

The NFL can come down to the final minutes, and even seconds, so any small advantage will be accepted by every head coach. When it comes to this exciting Steelers-Saints showdown in France, the first early leg-up will go to New Orleans. The fact that McCarthy has been a leader in locker rooms for almost two decades, but has yet to experience a game outside of the United States, is rather shocking.

In this specific scenario, McCarthy might swallow his pride and lean on some of the veterans on his roster. It would be wise to take some pointers from experienced contributors that can help get the rest of the team ready to play in a much different environment and time zone.

Steelers Likely Have Some Coaches With International Experience

McCarthy did bring a lot of coaches to Pittsburgh that he worked with while leading the Dallas Cowboys, but that doesn't mean that some of the staff doesn't have a taste of what games overseas are like. Still, the head coach is the one who everyone will listen to, and Moore just recently prepared for a game out of the country in 2024. For McCarthy, it will be his first time, and that could make some Steelers fans rather nervous.

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