African NFL players on the defensive side of the ball, especially the linebackers, dominated in week six as a number of teams were held to single-figure scores.
There's no Alvin Kamara this week as the Saints were enjoying a bye week, but expect the Liberian-American to show up in week seven as his reunion with Mark Ingram continues.
Player of the Week
Patrick Onwuasor (Baltimore Ravens - Linebacker #48)
The Ravens had a ball on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans and 'Peanut' Onwuasor played a major part in that. The third-year linebacker got the start at weak-side linebacker after rookie Kenny Young got the start in the games prior.
In the Ravens' 21-0 shutout of the Titans, Onwuasor tallied four tackles and two sacks. The two sacks were part of 11 by eight different Ravens on the day. Onwuasor's second sack gave the Ravens their 10th of the game, which broke their franchise record for sacks in a single game.
The Ravens also finished one sack off the overall NFL record for a single game and the defense could give all the credit to defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale and his schematic brilliance, which had Ravens defenders breaking through the Titans' offensive line from all sides.
Notable Performances
Foye Oluokun (Atlanta Falcons - Linebacker #54)
Yale grad Oluokun is making his presence felt on the Falcons' defense. In the Falcons' 34-29 win over Tampa Bay, Oluokun had 10 tackles while playing 40 out of 66 defensive snaps.
The increased snap count shows the impression he is making on his defensive coordinator, and his continued progression will be a great relief for the coaches as the team tries to bounce back from a rough start to the season.
George Iloka (Minnesota Vikings - Safety #23)
Making his first start for the Vikings since signing with them prior to the start of the season, Iloka notched eight tackles in the Vikings' 27-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Iloka made the start as a replacement for usual safety Andrew Sendejo, and after appearing everywhere on the field in his 43 defensive snaps, Iloka will give the Vikings coaching staff a good problem to have as they figure out ways to get him on the field.
David Njoku (Cleveland Browns - Tight End #85)
In the Browns' 38-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers, one of the few bright spots for the Clevelanders was second year tight end Njoku, who finished the game with seven receptions for 55 yards on 12 targets from QB Baker Mayfield.
Njoku also had a touchdown in the game as well as a 22-yard reception to help advance a Browns scoring drive. After his performance on Sunday, Njoku received the game ball and will hope the next game ball he receives will be after a victory.
The Browns' next three games will be against teams that haven't fared well in defending tight ends this season, so Njoku should get plenty of throws come his way over the next three weeks.
Yannick Ngakoue (Jacksonville Jaguars - Defensive End #91)
The DE was one of the few positives for the Jaguars on Sunday. Cameroonian-American Ngakoue had four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for a loss and three QB hits in the 40-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Ngakoue now has four sacks on the season and is on the path to eclipsing the 12 sacks he finished with last season.
Players to Watch in Week 7
Prince Amukamara (Chicago Bears - Cornerback)
Bears corner Prince Amukamara will be called on in week 7 way more than he was on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Playing against the New England Patriots and Tom Brady, Amukamara and the Bears will have no margin for error agaainst one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game.
Alex Okafor (New Orleans Saints - Defensive End)
Okafor and the Saints will be face a Ravens offensive line that has played quite well over the past few weeks, and kept Ravens QB Joe Flacco off the ground on Sunday versus the Titans. If Okafor is to get his first sack of the season, he will have to put in his best performance to get past the Baltimore offense.
Eli Apple (New York Giants - Defensive Back)
The Ghanaian has played much better this season compared to last, and had eight tackles and three pass breakups last week versus the Eagles. Despite the loss and some tough catches allowed, Apple had another solid game and will need to bring that mentality and performance into a difficult matchup against the talented Atlanta Falcons wide receivers.