New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle will be one of the big men looking to make up for the absence of David Onyemata this season, but he's taking it in stride.
Onyemata will be suspended the first six games after a positive test for a banned substance, putting the pressure on players like Tuttle, Malcolm Roach, Jalen Dalton, Albert Huggins, Christian Ringo and Ryan Glasgow to step up.
"Each year you've got to prepare harder than you did last year. That's my approach," Tuttle said after training camp practice Thursday. "I'm taking on a bigger role than I did last year. So really just going harder in the weight room. Training harder in the offseason."
The Saints are also trying to make up for the departures of Sheldon Rankins and Malcom Brown, both of whom departed in free agency. One element that will be missing without Onyemata is elite impact on the passer. He has ranked No. 3 on the team with 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons, a rarity for interior linemen. Tuttle has logged 46 tackles and a pair of sacks in his first two seasons.
But for Tuttle, it's a simple mantra that will take care of that pressure if he does the rest of his job well.
"In order to rush the passer, you have to stop the run," Tuttle said, simply. "That's out main goal, to stop the run every week, and that's what our coach prides us on, stopping the run. So, you don't get to rush the passer if you don't stop the run."
Related
The team has done that at an elite level, too. New Orleans went more than three years without allowing an opposing running back to go over 100 yards on the ground. That streak was snapped last season when Philadelphia Eagles RB Miles Sanders went over 100 yards in Week 14, a feat quarterback Jalen Hurts also matched in the same game.