Cam Jordan's rush got home, CJ Gardner-Johnson rescued a "baby goat," and the Saints got a pivotal NFC South win.
But how exactly did the Saints defense flummox Tom Brady at some of the most pivotal moments of Week 8? It was a combination of aggressive and well-timed play-calling by Dennis Allen, the return of David Onyemata's impact pressure on the interior, and a Saints pass rush rounding into form.
"We were mixing, we were in and out of zone, we were in and out of fire zone, some man. … We kinda knew this game wasn’t going to be 20-14, and sure enough we were right,” said Saints coach Sean Payton as he went over the tape.
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The aggressive schemes helped the Saints pick off Brady twice, the first coming from CJ Gardner-Johnson in the first half as New Orleans took control of the game despite starting QB Jameis Winston leaving in the 2nd quarter with a season-ending knee injury.
Gardner-Johnson was locked up in man-to-man coverage, kept his eyes in the backfield and took down the ill-advised throw.
"I was in a boat. I was jamming my receiver on an island," Gardner-Johnson said, laughing. "Then I saw a little baby goat floating in the water so I had to pick him up, and went the other way."
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Whatever that actually means, it was one of two tide-turning Saints takeaways in the first half. The other came when the Saints threw a changeup, rushing only three with Onyemata in the middle, while Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport rushed wide.
Onyemata's rush didn't get home, but he ate two blockers and got his arm in the passing lane. With an extra defender in coverage, linebacker Kwon Alexander was able to drive on Brady's initial read to take it away. The pass-rush made good use of that extra time, with Davenport reaching in to grab the back of Brady's jersey, while Jordan bullrushed left tackle Tristan Wirfs into Brady's lap and simultaneously got his arm up to knock the ball to the turf.
Onyemata said before the game he was in "phenomenal" football shape despite being suspended the first six games, and it showed. The big defensive tackle was the first to spot the ball on the turf, and shot out from behind the blockers and dove on the ball for the key turnover. Payton echoed the sentiment about Onyemata's fitness, and hit on the key element in his impact.
“The number one thing is trying to move the pocket. ... I thought overall good," Payton said. "He’s in better shape than some might be after that long of a layoff, but it’s great having him great in the lineup."
The Saints have had their rocky moments in 2021, but have climbed to 5-2 largely on the strength of one the NFL's top defenses. With Winston out and Michael Thomas now expected to miss the rest of the season, that dominating defense continue to be a necessity regardless of who takes over under center beginning in Week 9.
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