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By John DeShazier | Senior Writer - NewOrleansSaints.com

Eight days after the New Orleans Saints played their most complete game of the season in a 24-0 victory over the Raiders, they arguably played their worst game of the season in a 27-13 loss to the Ravens.

Inconsistency has been an unexpected but all-too-present accompaniment this season, and it's something that the Saints (3-6) would love to shake off Sunday when they play the Steelers (2-6) at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Here are several ways the team might be able to combat it against the Steelers:

1. PICK UP THE PRESSURE: New Orleans did not handle the Ravens' defensive pressure well Monday night; Andy Dalton was sacked four times, hit seven times, and had at least three passes tipped, one of which led to an interception. Pittsburgh, obviously, saw all of that and likely will incorporate some of those packages into the game plan, along with their own. The Saints can expect to see it until they show they consistently can stop it, and that challenge becomes more daunting with center Erik McCoy (calf) and left guard Andrus Peat (triceps) missing the game due to injuries. The good news is that the Steelers average just 1.9 sacks per game, the ninth fewest in the league. The bad news is Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt, a three-time All-Pro and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, when he had 22.5 sacks, will return to the lineup for the first time since the season opener. He had a sack, an interception, two passes defended, and three tackles for loss in that game. New Orleans will keep an eye on him.

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