Saints at Cardinals: Key Players to Watch

New Orleans faces a critical matchup when they play at Arizona on Thursday Night Football. Here are some of the players that need to come up big if the Saints are to pull out a win.

Bob Rose | Oct 20, 2022

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New Orleans Saints

The 2-4 New Orleans Saints are at the 2-4 Arizona Cardinals to kick off week 7 on Thursday Night Football. Both teams have fallen short of expectations to start the year, but each is only a game back in their respective divisions.

This is the 32nd meeting between the Saints and Cardinals franchise. New Orleans leads the all-time series 16-15, but are only 7-11 against the Cardinals on the road. The Saints are 10-5 against the Cardinals since they moved to Arizona (Phoenix) in 1988, including a 5-4 advantage on the road.

New Orleans limps into this game with a ton of key injuries. Wideout Michael Thomas and CB Marshon Lattimore, two elite playmakers, are sidelined. Guard Andrus Peat, WR Jarvis Landry, and TE Adam Trautman are also out. Jameis Winston will miss his fourth straight start, but will dress as an emergency quarterback behind Andy Dalton, who’s also dealing with a back injury.

The Saints will likely rely on their running game with Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill, but will also greatly benefit from the return of WR Chris Olave. Their reeling defense will try to contend with a Cardinals attack that's getting playmaking WR DeAndre Hopkins back in the lineup.

Kamara, Hill, and Olave will obviously be counted on to make plays. Dalton's performance will also be key to the outcome. A player like TE Juwan Johnson or CB Paulson Adebo could also be an understated factor in whether the Saints pull out a win.

Here are a few other players to watch closely as New Orleans enters a week 7 must-win situation.

Ryan Ramczyk/James Hurst

Sep 9, 2019; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) is blocked by New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (71). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints offensive line has played a bit closer to the unit we thought they’d be over the last few weeks. After allowing 10 sacks over the first two games and 23 QB hits in the first three weeks, New Orleans has given up just four sacks over the last three contests.

New Orleans has also dominated the trenches for their running attack, which has rolled up over 225 yards in consecutive games. Big credit goes to QB Andy Dalton for getting rid of the ball quickly and Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill for outstanding individual efforts. The starting five up front is also making their jobs a little easier.

Calvin Throckmorton takes the place of injured Andrus Peat for an interior that's had their share of struggles in pass protection. Throckmorton, C Erik McCoy, and RG Cesar Ruiz have been maulers for the running attack. Tackles Ryan Ramczyk and James Hurst are also playing at a high level.

Ramczyk and Hurst have crucial battles against Arizona ends Zach Allen and future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt. Allen has 2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, and a team-high 10 pressures. He’ll often be lined up across from Hurst. Watt will usually face off against Ramczyk in a one-on-one clash between elite players. He leads the Cardinals with 2.5 sacks and has added 6 pressures and 4 tackles for loss.

In his only career matchup against Ramczyk while with Houston in 2019, Watt was held without a single sack, tackle, or even a QB pressure on 60 snaps. Ramczyk and Hurst are not only vital for setting up the perimeter pocket for Dalton, but also setting a strong edge for Kamara and Hill in the running game.

David Onyemata

New Orleans has 13 sacks and 28 QB hits this season. Only 1.5 of those sacks and six QB hits have come from their defensive tackles. While still failing in some critical moments, the Saints have gotten better pressure in recent weeks, recording 12 of their sacks in the last four games. Their tackles have only accounted for a half sack in that stretch.

Worse yet, a typical dominant position against the run has failed to get consistent penetration and been pushed around at the point of attack. Shy Tuttle, Kentavius Street, and Malcolm Roach are all guilty, but the most disappointing culprit has been David Onyemata.

The 29-year-old Onyemata has a half sack, five pressures, but no tackles for loss among his 8 total tackles. His strength and athleticism makes him the most imposing among the Saints interior defenders, yet he’s been invisible most of the season.

Ends Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport are critical keys to pressuring and disrupting Arizona QB Kyler Murray tonight. Both players have had solid years, but also inconsistent production. Part of the reason for that is the failure of the team’s defensive tackles to even draw extra blockers.

Opponents have recorded 14 sacks and 27 hits on Murray this season. An extremely mobile quarterback, the 5'10” Murray absolutely needs strong interior protection when he stays in the pocket.

The Cardinals will be without two starting interior linemen because of injuries; LG Justin Pugh and C Rodney Hudson. It’s time for the 6’4” and 300-Lb. Onyemata to make a positive impact on a game for the first time in 2022.

Demario Davis/Pete Werner

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is pressured by New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20). Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

The most consistent part of a disappointing Saints defense so far has been the standout play of their linebackers. Both are playmakers all over the field against the run or pass and have an elite level of awareness and anticipation.

Werner is having an outstanding second season. He leads the Saints with 53 tackles, including an NFL-high 42 solo stops. He’s also added two pressures, one tackle for loss, and has excellent awareness in zone coverage. Davis remains one of the league's best all-around defensive players. He has 36 tackles, including four for loss. Davis also has 6 pressures and a team-high 4 sacks,

Both linebackers are elite run defenders, but their biggest impact in this game will be against the pass. Arizona TE Zach Ertz is having a terrific year. With CB Marshon Lattimore sitting out tonight, the Saints will need to use their safeties to help in coverage on Cardinals wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore. For that strategy to work, Werner and Davis will have to effectively contain Ertz and their backs.

The Saints linebackers, including Kaden Elliss, will be counted on even more for pressure and pursuit of Kyler Murray tonight. Davis is a devastating blitzer, an area where Werner needs to be more efficient. More importantly, they’ll need to be on top of Murray immediately when he breaks outside the pocket.

New Orleans has always had problems with running quarterbacks, but Murray is one of the league's most dangerous with his arm when he’s on the move.

Jordan and Davenport need to be disciplined in their rush assignments while still disrupting the Arizona backfield. However, the sideline-to-sideline athleticism of Davis and Werner versus Murray's mobility could be the game’s most pivotal matchup.

Tyrann Mathieu

When the Saints lost starting safeties Marcus Williams and Malcolm Jenkins last offseason, many thought they may have even upgraded the position when they signed Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu.

Each player arrived with a reputation of being a versatile playmaker. One of those players came with a resume’ of 27 interceptions, 11 fumbles forced or recovered, 10 sacks, 76 passes broken up, and 41 tackles for loss.

While the resume’ might have come to New Orleans, the player that earned it did not. While Tyrann Mathieu has the Saints only interception this season, he’s done little else positive for this defense. He has 29 tackles, but none for loss and no sacks or pressures.

The 30-year-old Mathieu isn't the lone culprit in the team’s defensive shortcomings. Maye hasn't been much better and most of the unit has come up short in big situations. He’s missed three games with a rib injury, but has just 17 tackles and none for loss with no interceptions and one forced fumble.

Mathieu has gotten more snaps in a coverage role than in the tackle box this year. He has consistently been out of position in those duties and has lacked the range he’d shown throughout his previous nine NFL seasons. Opponents have torched the Saints secondary for several big plays through the air in recent weeks.

As a tackler, Mathieu has exhibited poor effort and has often taken bad angles in pursuit. The entire New Orleans defense has not tackled well this year, but Mathieu is the poster boy for those struggles. He’s been a defensive liability for a unit that's been prone to big plays and back-breaking breakdowns.

Without Lattimore, Maye and Mathieu are expected to help corners Paulson Adebo and Bradley Roby in coverage on DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, and a dangerous Cardinals receiving corps. Now facing the team that drafted him with a first-round choice in 2013, Mathieu's ability to make big plays might be the difference in a must-win Thursday night road trip.

Ryan Ramczyk/James Hurst

David Onyemata

Demario Davis/Pete Werner

Tyrann Mathieu

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