Stats and information for the Steelers vs. Saints holiday weekend showdown
Fast Facts is a weekly series featuring a quick glance at the upcoming Steelers game, including odds, records, things to watch for, and how to watch/listen to the game.
Team Records
Pittsburgh Steelers
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin
- Overall regular-season record: 124-65-1 (.655)/12th season
- Regular-season record with Pittsburgh: 124-65-1 (.655)/12th season
- Playoff Record/Years: 8-7 (.533)/eight years
New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton
- Overall regular-season record: 117-73 (.616)/12th season
- Regular-season record with New Orleans: 117-73 (.616)/12th season
- Playoff Record/Years: 7-5 (.583)/six years
Steelers – Saints History
- Series History: Series began in 1967
- Overall Regular Season: Saints lead, 8-7
- In Pittsburgh: Even, 3-3
- At New Orleans: Saints lead, 5-4
- Neutral Sites: n/a
- Streak: Saints won previous two meetings
- Last Regular-Season Meeting: Nov. 30, 2014, in Pittsburgh
New Orleans 35, Pittsburgh 32 - Postseason Series: n/a
- (preseason and postseason record not included in overall series record)
This week’s game will mark the 16th regular-season meeting between Pittsburgh and New Orleans… the Saints own a one-game advantage in the regular-season series (8-7)… Sunday’s game will mark the fourth regular-season meeting between the two teams in the month of December, with Pittsburgh defeating New Orleans 9-6 in the last December game, Dec. 16, 1990, at New Orleans.
Gameday Information
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018
- Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. ET
- Site: Mercedes-Benz Superdome (74,295) • New Orleans, La.
- Playing Surface: FieldTurf
- TV Coverage: CBS (locally KDKA-TV, channel 2)
- Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (analyst) | Tracy Wolfson (sideline)
- Local Radio: Steelers Radio Network
WDVE-FM (102.5)/WBGG-AM (970) - Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play), Tunch Ilkin (analyst) | Craig Wolfley (sideline)
- National Radio: ESPN RADIO
- Announcers: Adam Amin (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) | Dianna Russini (sideline)
- National Radio: Sports USA
- Announcers: Josh Appel (play-by-play) | John Robinson (analyst)
- Satellite Radio: SIRIUS: 98 (Pit), 82 (NO) | XM: 391 (Pit), 227 (NO)
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
Game Capsule
| Steelers | Saints | |
|---|---|---|
| Last Week | W 17-10 vs. New England | W 12-9 at Carolina |
| Coach vs. Opp. | Mike Tomlin: 0-2 | Sean Payton: 2-1 |
| Pts. For/Against | 27.4/22.6 | 32.8/20.9 |
| Offense | 405.8 | 385.9 |
| Passing | Ben Roethlisberger: 388-580-4462-30-15-96.3 | Drew Brees: 337-450-3666-31-5-116.8 (1L) |
| Rushing | James Conner: 201-909-4.5-12 | Alvin Kamara: 187-860-4.6-12 |
| Receiving | JuJu Smith-Schuster: 95-1274-13.4-6 | Michael Thomas: 109 (1L)-1267-11.6-8 |
| Defense | 333.5 | 341.6 |
| Sacks | T.J. Watt: 11 | Cameron Jordan: 12 |
| INTs | Joe Haden: 2 | Many tied: 2 |
| Take/Give | -9 (14/23) | +8 (22/14) |
| Punting (Net) | Jordan Berry: 44.0 (38.9) | Thomas Morstead: 47.0 (43.0) |
| Kicking | Chris Boswell: 74 (41/46 PAT; 11/18 FG) | Wil Lutz: 127 (46/47 PAT; 27/28 FG) |
Steelers
QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER has 2,385 pass yards (340.7 per game) & 14 TDs (12 pass, 2 rush) in 7 road games in 2018. Has 931 pass yards (310.3 per game) & 11 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 139.1 rating vs. NFC South this season. Aims for 4th in row vs. NFC South with 3+ TD passes & 100+ rating. Ranks 2nd in NFL with 4,462 pass yards.
RB JAMES CONNER has 95+ scrimmage yards in 5 of his past 6 on road. Has 353 scrimmage yards (117.7 per game) & 3 rush TDs in 3 career games vs. NFC South. Rookie RB JAYLEN SAMUELS had career-high 172 scrimmage yards (142 rush, 30 rec.) last week, his 1st-career 100-yard game. Aims for his 3rd in row with 90+ scrimmage yards.
WR ANTONIO BROWN had TD catch last week & leads NFL with 13 rec. TDs in 2018. Aims for 9th in row on road with 5+ receptions. Has 10 TD catches in past 7 vs. NFC South. Had 8 receptions for 97 yards & 2 TDs in only career game vs. NO (11/30/14). Is only player with 90+ catches in each of past 6 seasons. WR JU JU SMITH-SCHUSTER has 100+ rec. yards in 6 of 7 road games in 2018. Has 29 receptions for 423 yards (141 per game) & 3 TDs in his past 3 on road. Aims for 4th in row on road with 8+ catches & 100+ rec. yards.
DT CAMERON HEYWARD has 3.5 sacks in his past 2 vs. NFC South. LB T.J. WATT had sack last week. Aims for 3rd in row vs. NFC South with sack & FF. CB JOE HADEN had 12 tackles, 2 PD & INT last week. LB VINCE WILLIAMS has sack & TFL in 2 of his past 3 on road.
Saints
QB DREW BREES leads NFL in comp. pct. (74.9) & rating (116.8) & ties for 3rd in pass TDs (31). In 6 home games this season, has completed 153 of 197 (77.7 pct.) for 1,925 yards (320.8 per game) with 20 TDs vs. 1 INT for 139.1 rating. Has 960 pass yards (320 per game) with 8 TDs vs. 1 INT for 114.4 rating in his past 3 meetings. Aims for his 3rd in row vs. Pit. with 2+ TDs & 100+ rating.
RB ALVIN KAMARA ranks 2nd in NFL in TDs (16) & 6th in scrimmage yards (1,487). Had 103 scrimmage yards (67 rush, 36 rec.) & rush TD last week. In his past 6 vs. AFC, has 599 scrimmage yards (99.8 per game) & 6 TDs (4 rush, 2 rec.). RB MARK INGRAM has 12 rush TDs in his past 11 at home. Had 122 rush yards in last meeting. In his past 4 vs. AFC, has 486 scrimmage yards (121.5 per game) & 6 TDs (5 rush, 1 rec.).
WR MICHAEL THOMAS leads NFL with 109 receptions & ranks 4th in NFC with 1,267 rec. yards. Has 58 catches for 616 yards (88 per game) & 7 TDs in his past 7 vs. AFC. Aims for his 5th in row vs. AFC with TD catch. Has rec. TD in 2 of his past 3 at home.
LB DEMARIO DAVIS led team with 8 tackles & had sack last week. Leads team with 103 tackles in 2018, his 4th-career season with 100+ tackles. Had sack in his last meeting (1/1/17 with Cle.). DE CAMERON JORDAN has 2+ sacks in 3 of his past 4. Had 6 tackles, sack & INT in only career meeting. Has 3 sacks in his past 3 vs. AFC.
League Rankings
| Steelers | Saints | |
|---|---|---|
| Home Record | 4-3-0 | 5-1-0 |
| Away Record | 4-2-1 | 7-1-0 |
| Record vs. Spread | 7-6-1 | 10-4-0 |
| Points Scored | 384 (5th) | 459 (2nd) |
| Points Allowed | 316 (15th) | 292 (7th) |
| Takeaway Diff. | -9 (28th) | +8 (8th) |
| Pass Yds/Game | 311 (3rd) | 258 (11th) |
| Rush Yds/Game | 93 (30th) | 127 (8th) |
| Def. Pass Yds/Game | 236 (13th) | 262 (28th) |
| Def. Rush Yds/Game | 96 (6th) | 79 (1st) |
Steelers 2018 Draft Class
S Terrell Edmunds (6-1, 217)
Rd. 1 28th Overall
Played collegiate football at Virginia Tech where he appeared in 37 games, making 31 starts…he totaled 182 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for losses…Edmunds started all 10 games en route to recording 59 tackles during the 2017 season.
WR James Washington (5-11, 213)
Rd. 2 60th Overall
Set an Oklahoma State University school record with 4,472 career receiving yards, also the second-best receiving yardage total in Big 12 conference history…he became one of two players in school history with three seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards and three years with at least 10 touchdown catches.
QB Mason Rudolph (6-5, 235)
Rd. 3 76th Overall
Led Oklahoma State University to a 32-9 record as the quarterback to produce the winningest record by a signal caller in school history…he finished his career holding no fewer than 54 school records, including single-season and career marks for passing yards, passing touchdowns and pass efficiency…his 13,618 career passing yards rank him fourth in Big 12 conference history.
OL Chukwuma Okorafor (6-8, 320)
Rd. 3 92nd Overall
At Western Michigan University, started each of his final 39 games… he was a first-team All-American selection following the 2017 campaign by the Football Writers Association of America.
S Marcus Allen (6-2, 215)
Rd. 5 148th Overall
Became the sixth player in Penn State football history to reach the 300-tackle mark in a career…his 321 stops rank fifth in program history… he was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2017, starting 13 games and recording 72 tackles (46 solo).
RB Jaylen Samuels (6-0, 225)
Rd. 5 165th Overall
Established a North Carolina State University school record for receptions in a career, finishing with 202…his 47 total touchdowns place him second in program annals and he finished fourth in touchdown receptions (19) and sixth in touchdown runs (28).
DT Joshua Frazier (6-4, 315)
Rd. 7 246th Overall
Played in 40 career games at the University of Alabama…he recorded 28 tackles (11 solo), with 4.5 tackles for losses, 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defensed.
Statistics and game information courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers and/or National Football League.
