That's something that kind of surprises me about Dennis Allen's struggles (and some other guys like Norv Turner): How do the limitations you display as a head coach not come into play when you are a coordinator?
I guess as a coordinator, you can (usually) rely on a "culture-setter" at head coach ... which can allow you to stay focused on your unit. But then ... did Allen's defensive players, under Payton, ever take advantage of Allen's limitations in some smaller ways? Was Payton always there to put the kibosh on any foolishness from any player, on either side of the ball?