Skip to content
Pro Football Mania Pro Football Mania

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints: PFM Team Comparison

The Pittsburgh Steelers hold a clear overall advantage over the New Orleans Saints in the current PFM ratings. Pittsburgh separates itself through the stronger defense and the less limited big-play ability.

Current PFM Team Scores

Clear edgePIT

Pittsburgh Steelers

78.7PFM Team Score#17 NFL
NO

New Orleans Saints

73.3PFM Team Score#28 NFL
Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the Pittsburgh Steelers Higher

The Pittsburgh Steelers own the stronger defense. More dependable stops give the offense better field position and keep one bad drive from controlling the day. New Orleans' strongest counterargument is QB Stability. Quarterback is still a concern for both teams, but the New Orleans Saints carry less uncertainty than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh also brings the less limited big-play ability. Pittsburgh adds the stronger coaching operation. The counterargument matters, but it does not erase Pittsburgh's clear overall advantage.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Pittsburgh vs. New Orleans Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

PITPittsburgh Steelers
NONew Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New Orleans Saints Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Pittsburgh Steelers 74.6, New Orleans Saints 76.7, edge NO +2.1; Offense: Pittsburgh Steelers 78.6, New Orleans Saints 73.6, edge PIT +5.0; Defense: Pittsburgh Steelers 83.2, New Orleans Saints 72.7, edge PIT +10.5; Coaching Direction: Pittsburgh Steelers 83.4, New Orleans Saints 75.5, edge PIT +7.9; Roster Depth: Pittsburgh Steelers 78.8, New Orleans Saints 73.5, edge PIT +5.3. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
Hover or tap a team to focus that profile. Use Show Both to bring the overlay back.
THE COUNTERARGUMENT

New Orleans Saints’ Best Argument

New Orleans has the better quarterback grade here. It is still not high enough to call the position a strength. That is why the overall gap is smaller than the score first suggests. Pittsburgh still answers with the stronger defense and the less limited big-play ability, which keeps the overall judgment in place.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

PIT78.7
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.7
NO73.3
New Orleans Saints 73.3
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Overall NFL Rank

PIT#17
Pittsburgh Steelers #17
NO#28
New Orleans Saints #28
Pittsburgh Steelers ranks higher

QB Stability

PIT74.6
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.6
NO76.7
New Orleans Saints 76.7
Clear New Orleans Saints edge

Roster Strength

PIT78.8
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.8
NO73.5
New Orleans Saints 73.5
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Coaching Direction

PIT83.4
Pittsburgh Steelers 83.4
NO75.5
New Orleans Saints 75.5
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Recent Performance

PIT79.3
Pittsburgh Steelers 79.3
NO69.2
New Orleans Saints 69.2
Major Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Offense

PIT78.6
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.6
NO73.6
New Orleans Saints 73.6
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Defense

PIT83.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 83.2
NO72.7
New Orleans Saints 72.7
Major Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Franchise Direction

PIT74.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.9
NO69.4
New Orleans Saints 69.4
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Explosiveness

PIT75.5
Pittsburgh Steelers 75.5
NO66.0
New Orleans Saints 66.0
Clear Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Conference Rank

PIT#9
Pittsburgh Steelers #9
NO#15
New Orleans Saints #15
Pittsburgh Steelers ranks higher

Division Rank

PIT#3
Pittsburgh Steelers #3
NO#4
New Orleans Saints #4
Pittsburgh Steelers ranks higher

Outlook

PITIn the Playoff MixNOPlayoff Long Shot
Stronger outlook: Pittsburgh Steelers
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Pittsburgh Steelers

Remaining schedule rank: #26

Toughest stretch: Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens

Strongest opponents: Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos

Next five difficulty: 76.3

View Pittsburgh Steelers Road Ahead

New Orleans Saints

Remaining schedule rank: #32

Toughest stretch: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers

Strongest opponents: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers

Next five difficulty: 76.6

View New Orleans Saints Road Ahead

Pittsburgh has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 26. The strongest opponents include Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Denver Broncos. New Orleans gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while Pittsburgh still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated October 13, 2026. Schedule data updated October 16, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams