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David Onyemata Gives Saints Defense Power, Strength, and 'Fresh Legs'

Saints defensive tackle completes serving his six-game suspension and will return to the New Orleans defense in Week 8.

Kyle T. Mosley

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata completed serving his six-game suspension and returned to practice this week. 

The Saints need his presence on the team's defensive line to win in Week 8's showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  

SAINTS COACHES ON ONYEMATA'S RETURN

Sean Payton: "He's one of the starters back. We're slowly getting a few of these guys back and he's a real important piece to what we do. He's in great shape. He's been training. I'm excited for him."

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Dennis Allen: “Well, Onyemata is a really good player. He gives us an inside presence in the run and pass game. Certainly, he’ll be a welcomed addition to the group. He hasn’t played football in seven weeks and really a little longer than that since we didn’t get to play the last preseason game (Arizona, Ida). It’s been a while since he’s been out there so he’ll be a guy we have to get in the flow a little bit and see what we can get out of him.”

 “I’m pumped to be out there. Watching it on TV wasn't fun I’ll just put it that way.” 

SAINTS DEFENSE WITHOUT ONYEMATA

Through the first six games of 2021, the Saints defensive line has performed well in Onyemata's absence, but there's always room for improvement.  PFF's Sam Monson ranked the Saints defense at #4 in the NFL and wrote about Onyemata, "In 2020, Onyemata’s 88.8 overall grade led the defense, and he recorded 49 total pressures as well as 31 defensive stops."

“I mean, the presence David brings, what he has done in the last half-decade being on this team. Not only his strength, his force, but just his mindset of wanting to play the run and getting better every day. It matches exactly what we're doing on the d-line. So he was a huge component for us. And super excited to have him back."

Cam Jordan on Onyemata's Return

The Saints defensive interior without Onyemata consisted of:

  • Shy Tuttle - 173 snaps
  • Malcolm Roach - 162 snaps (inactive in Week 7)
  • Albert Huggins - 113 snaps (re-signed to practiced squad 10/28)
  • Christian Ringo - 115 snaps
  • Montravius Adams - 77 snaps
  • Josiah Bronson - 23 snaps (Week 7)

AGAINST THE RUN

New Orleans is No. 1 against yards per carry to opponents, No. 2 in the NFL in rush yards allowed (80.8 rushing yards/game), and yielded only four touchdowns on the ground. The defense is also No. 4 in allowing rushing first downs.

So, in essence, the rushing defense has been stout with Onyemata missing from the lineup.

AGAINST THE PASS

PFF graded Saints interior linemen Ringo (65.5) and Bronson (68.1) as the best on pass rushes.  Shy Tuttle has been the best overall defensive tackle with a 70.3 grade and 76.5 grade on run defense.  Second-year defensive tackle Malcolm Roach was a healthy scratch versus the Seahawks - PFF grades at 46.3 overall and 46.4 in the pass rush.

The Saints defense has 24 quarterback hurries, 29 QB knock downs, 16.9% QB hit percentage, and 13 quarterbacks at a 5.4% rate.

Dennis Allen's defense deserves credit with excellent games against Green Bay, New England, WFT, and Seattle; but clunkers to Carolina and the Giants.

Onyemata will provide "consistent" pressure.   The interior defenders have recorded only five QB hits, 1 TFL, and zero sacks through six games.

Last season, Onyemata led the defensive tackles with 6.5 sacks, 10 TFLs, and 16 QB hits.

Granderson Sacks Brady
Credit: USA Today Sports

FACING BRADY

New Orleans will need "The Big O" and his "fresh legs" getting after Brady this Sunday.

Onyemata registered 4 QB hits and 1 interception when he faced Tom Brady and Buccaneers in Week 9 of 2020.   The entire defensive line had trouble getting to Brady in the 2021 NFC Divisional Playoff game.  

Longtime defensive line coach Pete Jenkins worked with Onyemata while he served out his suspension. You can tell from his Friday press conference that he is anxious to return and make an impact on the Saints' defense.

The Bucs' quarterback, Tom Brady, is best at avoiding QB hits and pressures. Still, the New Orleans defensive interior must push the Bucs offensive line to affect Tom Brady on Sunday. This is why David Onyemata becomes highly important to improve the Saints' chances to defeat the Bucs on Sunday.

Brady is lethal with a passing on-target rate of 71.9% and the receivers catch 70.3% of his passes.   

The seven-time Super Bowl champion has received 38 QB pressures (12.5%) and 62 QB blitzes (19.9%), and the team only surrendered nine sacks on the season.  He has tossed three interceptions and thrown the football away seven times.

Brady in 2021

  • Target: WR - 57.8%
  • Target: TE - 19.5%
  • Target: RB - 19.8%
  • 312  Dropbacks
  • Play-action plays - 17.5%
  • 125 passing 1st Downs at a 40.1 % rate 
  • 33 passing plays over 20+ yards

UPON BIG O's RETURN

“It feels awesome being back with the guys, being able to be back on the field with them, it feels really good. Being away for so long you don't realize how much you kind of miss being around the system and guys. So you might take that for granted, but it feels good.”  ~ David Onyemata

Marcus Davenport on Onyemata's Return:  “He’s got some fresh legs so it's definitely good to have him back. He’s one of those people where you watch, he’s most of the time the one that’s (active). It’s definitely good to have him back. Definitely adds depth.”

Onyemata's return could have been soon enough for New Orleans.  I'm not sure if Sean Payton and Dennis Allen will have him on a pitch count or not, but I would guess he will be used early and often.

We shall see.

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Kyle T. Mosley
KYLE T. MOSLEY

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