Saints 'Young Guns' Emerge at the Right Time

New Orleans Saints "young guns" are emerging at the right time while several starters are on the mend.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - When the All-Pros and starters went down due to injury this season, the Saints "Young Guns" stepped in and collectively were up for the challenge. In Week 8, several displayed their value in blanking the Raiders 24-0 before over 70,000 raucous Who Dats inside of Caesars Superdome.

For New Orleans, its youth movement was in full effect with active and highly-productive outings against the Raiders. Chris Olave, Pete Werner, Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and Payton Turner are the Saints' young guns emerging at the right time for Dennis Allen.

Oct 30, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Pete Werner (20) post game interview. Mandatory Credit: John J. Hendrix, Saints News Network

Olave is an exceptional talent. Sunday, the former Buckeye registered his sixth-straight NFL game with over 50 yards receiving. 

Once again, Pete Werner was a tackling machine with 11 combined tackles on the day, and his tipped pass allowed safety Tyrann Mathieu to collect an interception from David Carr. I cannot recall a game this season where Werner hasn't led New Orleans in tackles.

Oct 30, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (27) reacts to making a hard tackle against Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (28) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Alontae Taylor's performance stood out in the Saints' secondary with three passes defended and brought confidence, speed, and swagger.  It will be difficult to keep him off of the field once Lattimore and Roby return.

"He's one of the first guys on the practice field," Tyrann Mathieu remarked on Alontae Taylor. "He's always kind of working on his craft...he had that chip on his shoulder that he wanted to help us. His time has come around, and I think he's really showing up for us, big time."

Defensive backs Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor contributed to neutralizing the dangerous tandem of Hunter Renfrow and All-Pro Davante Adams.

When the New Orleans pass rush needed an infusion of help, former top-draft pick Payton Turner recorded two sacks while playing 57% of the Saints' defensive snaps.

Juwan Johnson played significant minutes, and the speedy receiver Rashid Shaheed caught three passes for 38 yards and returned punts.

In Week 9, these young guys will have another huge mountain to climb with former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens visit for Monday Night Football. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN (FOX 8 WVUE locally) with a 7:15 PM CT kickoff at Caesars Superdome on Nov. 7.