Dennis Allen appreciation thread (2024 Edition)..... (1 Viewer)

[showstopper]

Ownership has patience with their head coach unlike some other teams lol

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

I've been in his corner since he took the job. He inherited a tough situation. He was one of us, he had been here a long time and deserved the opportunity to build his team, with his coaches and put his system in place. I'd like to think that the majority of NOLA faithful felt the same way and as usual, the smaller crowd just makes the most noise.

I think that's the part that frustrated me the most going back and forth with posters the last year or so. It's like most of them were in complete denial that Sean Payton left this team in shambles.

The entire left side of the O-line was decimated with Peat/Armstead missing on average about 13 games a year combined. There was no WR depth outside of Michael Thomas who was returning from injury and of course the QB situation that even Payton couldn't win with but Allen was expected to be so much better w/ the same guys.
Then came the well if Jameis wouldn't have gotten hurt he was top ranked QB blah blah blah blahdy blahdy blah. I just..man I'm just glad, for now, that Allen is starting to prove me right.

The only difference between Allen's first two years as HC and Payton's is that Payton had the winning 06 season, but he also had Drew Brees. So people afforded him a looser chain than Allen who seemed to held to a much higher expectation while workign w/ less.

For now i just believe it was the curse of following a successful person who was a completely different personality and thus his way of doign things just wasn't accepted. 9 months "keep chopping wood" was the butt of all jokes...now people are makign threads like "what's DA's message"? "he said we need to stay the course"

Sitting at 2-0 and fans are now like "Hell yeah that's what we need to do, keep chopping wood...stay the course"!!

 

[Artifactual]

Coming to lift this submarine thread to the surface from the depths of page two. This is supposed to be a D.A. Appreciation Thread. Where's the respect?


This thread was started Wednesday afternoon and it barely lasted 3 hours with a mere 12 members posting and less than 500 views before dropping out of sight.

Half of the posts don't even acknowledge Allen, while referencing his predecessor instead. By comparison, there is a thread that's been on the front page since last Sunday afternoon and has remained there all week and is at the top of page 1 right now with over 200 reply posts and over 11,000 views. Guess who it's about?

Are we so obsessed with the trophy wife we had for so long that up and deserted us that we can't find a few compliments for the plain ole gal who's cooking for us now? It's not that hard to do. A lot of folks here just can't let go, and nothing can compete with the past and those lasting memories. We have to turn the page.

D.A. has been in NOLA for many years and has had a lot of success with the team as DC and arguably it can be said he has been the best DC in Saints history.

When Allen was promoted to the Head Coach position, he thought the Turkey was ready to be placed in the oven and all he had to do was cook it. What he didn't realize at the time was that it was already cooked and when he put it in the oven it became overdone quickly. The first mistake he made was still serving it as is.

A 7-10 record in his first season was a disappointment on several levels. As a Head Coach playing with a leftover deck of cards he was dealt a few bad hands. Improving the WR room with a solid pick on Olave proved itself from the beginning. The Penning pick seemed brilliant at the time as well. Then a bust label appeared imminent. QB injuries can derail any coach's season. That came early and left many wondering all year. He had his moments of shock and awe where he wasn't able to conjure up statements of confidence on demand, such as the Keep On Doing What You're Doing gaffe after the meltdown by Dalton at the end of the first half against Arizona. After fighting and clawing back into contention the straw that broke the camel's back was when Ingram stepped out of bounds a yard short of the first down against Tampa. A meltdown ensued. Had the Saints won that game not only would their season have possibly ended differently, it's also likely to have thwarted the Bucs from winning the division. Staying with Pete as OC another year almost led to his own demise. In hindsight it's best he did, or he definitely wouldn't have the one he has now. The Saints fan base was quick to beat down Allen for the failed season. He deserved a lot of it, but not all of it.

A 9-8 record in his second year brought signs of improvement. It's easy to discount the improved record on the weak SOS but it can't be denied that there was improvement. Allen saw the need for change at the QB position and the team brought in a veteran who he had confidence that he could win with. But it was like bringing in a new driver but not changing the spark plugs in the race car. Depending on a return of MT to form lasted briefly but again fizzled out. Also, starting the season with the teams best player on a 3 game suspension under a black eye was a downer. The offensive scheming and gameplans were outdated and stale. However, the team came within one win of winning the division. They were still alive 3 hours after they played their final regular season snap. No cigar, but a season with 2 more wins than the one before, including winning 4 out of the last 5 games was certainly a better outcome than what could have otherwise been.

Entering an offseason of uncertainty, Loomis and company stood by the man they still thought could take the team to new heights. Under tremendous pressure from the fan base to be fired, D.A. made wholesale changes to his offensive staff. And while he was criticized heavily for all of the big name prospective offensive coordinators to pass through and sign elsewhere, he was patient the entire time waiting on the one he wanted the most. He has revamped most of his coaching staff on defense. He has allowed his new offensive coordinator total control on that side of the ball including play calling. He also allowed KK to bring in the coaches he wanted to implement his system. D.A. had a large voice in getting all the players to buy in to what would be the 2024 season. Under Dennis Allen most of the drafted players along with the rookie undrafted free agents acquired the past 3 years are now looking better with players from each year now manning starting positions as key young core players. Players that were holdovers from the prior regime are limited to veterans Cam Jordan, Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, Taysom Hill, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Pete Werner, Paulson Adebo, Carl Granderson, J.T. Gray, Zach Wood, Adam Prentice, Payton Turner, and Landon Young. That's 15 players left from the prior regime. Less than 1/3. 38 new players on the roster in the past 3 years. This is now Allens team.

Entering the 2024 season few people outside of the building on Airline Drive believed that this team would be able to perform at the level they have so far through the first two weeks. It's only been 2 games, but it's the way that this team has performed in each that now has them as the talk of the league right now. Credit a lot of the success to the system and play calling of the new OC but give major props to the steady guidance of Dennis Allen who saw in Klint Kubiak as his new co-pilot. D.A. may be a bit old fashioned, somewhat stoic and corny at times, but his approach is consistent. He's not trying to be someone he's not. The players believe he can lead them to a Championship. That's an important part of getting there. Hardly any of the local media had the Saints winning 10 games or more. Many projected the team would regress and have a losing season. Duncan had the team mustering up only 6 wins. National media preseason rankings had the Saints mid 20s. They also ranked D.A. as worst coach in the league at 32, behind 8 new hires and several returning HCs on the hot seat themselves. Vegas had the Saints at 7 1/2 wins. It's still too early to say, but it looks like better days ahead.

Having won the first two games is great but doesn't mean the wins will continue, but if the team continues to play anywhere close to how they played in the first two contests Saints fans can expect the team will be competitive. That's all you can really ask for. Of course we can all hope for more. The buzz and excitement level as of now is near on par with the best of times in years past, 1987, 2000, 2006, 2009 and several thereafter. Plenty of fans are still reserved until a few more games are played, and for good reason. And if those next few games produce similar results to the 1st two there won't even be standing room to get on the bus

Now barely 14 hours until kickoff tomorrow against the Eagles, I'm pretty sure that without another single post this thread will remain on the front page until then, if from nothing more than a lack of new threads. If the Saints are able to get the win, this thread may actually stay on the front page for an entire week. Of course, you don't have to wait. You can still get on board before this train leaves the station. If you haven't already, try to find something nice to say about D.A.

And finally, congratulations to Dennis Allen. You're appreciated by at least a dozen or so Saints fans here at SR! Somebody else is bound to say so soon!






EXTRA:

The link to the video in the OP about Dennis Allen is below. A worthy watch to get to know the background, upbringing, and character of your Head Coach.

Hopefully it's just the first in a series that gets better every time. Atta Boy Dennis! Keep Chopping 1Wood! And Keep Doing What You're Doing!

 

[Madmarsha]

Coming to lift this submarine thread to the surface from the depths of page two. This is supposed to be a D.A. Appreciation Thread. Where's the respect?


This thread was started Wednesday afternoon and it barely lasted 3 hours with a mere 12 members posting and less than 500 views before dropping out of sight.

Half of the posts don't even acknowledge Allen, while referencing his predecessor instead. By comparison, there is a thread that's been on the front page since last Sunday afternoon and has remained there all week and is at the top of page 1 right now with over 200 reply posts and over 11,000 views. Guess who it's about?

Are we so obsessed with the trophy wife we had for so long that up and deserted us that we can't find a few compliments for the plain ole gal who's cooking for us now? It's not that hard to do. A lot of folks here just can't let go, and nothing can compete with the past and those lasting memories. We have to turn the page.

D.A. has been in NOLA for many years and has had a lot of success with the team as DC and arguably it can be said he has been the best DC in Saints history.

When Allen was promoted to the Head Coach position, he thought the Turkey was ready to be placed in the oven and all he had to do was cook it. What he didn't realize at the time was that it was already cooked and when he put it in the oven it became overdone quickly. The first mistake he made was still serving it as is.

A 7-10 record in his first season was a disappointment on several levels. As a Head Coach playing with a leftover deck of cards he was dealt a few bad hands. Improving the WR room with a solid pick on Olave proved itself from the beginning. The Penning pick seemed brilliant at the time as well. Then a bust label appeared imminent. QB injuries can derail any coach's season. That came early and left many wondering all year. He had his moments of shock and awe where he wasn't able to conjure up statements of confidence on demand, such as the Keep On Doing What You're Doing gaffe after the meltdown by Dalton at the end of the first half against Arizona. After fighting and clawing back into contention the straw that broke the camel's back was when Ingram stepped out of bounds a yard short of the first down against Tampa. A meltdown ensued. Had the Saints won that game not only would their season have possibly ended differently, it's also likely to have thwarted the Bucs from winning the division. Staying with Pete as OC another year almost led to his own demise. In hindsight it's best he did, or he definitely wouldn't have the one he has now. The Saints fan base was quick to beat down Allen for the failed season. He deserved a lot of it, but not all of it.

A 9-8 record in his second year brought signs of improvement. It's easy to discount the improved record on the weak SOS but it can't be denied that there was improvement. Allen saw the need for change at the QB position and the team brought in a veteran who he had confidence that he could win with. But it was like bringing in a new driver but not changing the spark plugs in the race car. Depending on a return of MT to form lasted briefly but again fizzled out. Also, starting the season with the teams best player on a 3 game suspension under a black eye was a downer. The offensive scheming and gameplans were outdated and stale. However, the team came within one win of winning the division. They were still alive 3 hours after they played their final regular season snap. No cigar, but a season with 2 more wins than the one before, including winning 4 out of the last 5 games was certainly a better outcome than what could have otherwise been.

Entering an offseason of uncertainty, Loomis and company stood by the man they still thought could take the team to new heights. Under tremendous pressure from the fan base to be fired, D.A. made wholesale changes to his offensive staff. And while he was criticized heavily for all of the big name prospective offensive coordinators to pass through and sign elsewhere, he was patient the entire time waiting on the one he wanted the most. He has revamped most of his coaching staff on defense. He has allowed his new offensive coordinator total control on that side of the ball including play calling. He also allowed KK to bring in the coaches he wanted to implement his system. D.A. had a large voice in getting all the players to buy in to what would be the 2024 season. Under Dennis Allen most of the drafted players along with the rookie undrafted free agents acquired the past 3 years are now looking better with players from each year now manning starting positions as key young core players. Players that were holdovers from the prior regime are limited to veterans Cam Jordan, Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, Taysom Hill, Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz, Pete Werner, Paulson Adebo, Carl Granderson, J.T. Gray, Zach Wood, Adam Prentice, Payton Turner, and Landon Young. That's 15 players left from the prior regime. Less than 1/3. 38 new players on the roster in the past 3 years. This is now Allens team.

Entering the 2024 season few people outside of the building on Airline Drive believed that this team would be able to perform at the level they have so far through the first two weeks. It's only been 2 games, but it's the way that this team has performed in each that now has them as the talk of the league right now. Credit a lot of the success to the system and play calling of the new OC but give major props to the steady guidance of Dennis Allen who saw in Klint Kubiak as his new co-pilot. D.A. may be a bit old fashioned, somewhat stoic and corny at times, but his approach is consistent. He's not trying to be someone he's not. The players believe he can lead them to a Championship. That's an important part of getting there. Hardly any of the local media had the Saints winning 10 games or more. Many projected the team would regress and have a losing season. Duncan had the team mustering up only 6 wins. National media preseason rankings had the Saints mid 20s. They also ranked D.A. as worst coach in the league at 32, behind 8 new hires and several returning HCs on the hot seat themselves. Vegas had the Saints at 7 1/2 wins. It's still too early to say, but it looks like better days ahead.

Having won the first two games is great but doesn't mean the wins will continue, but if the team continues to play anywhere close to how they played in the first two contests Saints fans can expect the team will be competitive. That's all you can really ask for. Of course we can all hope for more. The buzz and excitement level as of now is near on par with the best of times in years past, 1987, 2000, 2006, 2009 and several thereafter. Plenty of fans are still reserved until a few more games are played, and for good reason. And if those next few games produce similar results to the 1st two there won't even be standing room to get on the bus

Now barely 14 hours until kickoff tomorrow against the Eagles, I'm pretty sure that without another single post this thread will remain on the front page until then, if from nothing more than a lack of new threads. If the Saints are able to get the win, this thread may actually stay on the front page for an entire week. Of course, you don't have to wait. You can still get on board before this train leaves the station. If you haven't already, try to find something nice to say about D.A.

And finally, congratulations to Dennis Allen. You're appreciated by at least a dozen or so Saints fans here at SR! Somebody else is bound to say so soon!






EXTRA:

The link to the video in the OP about Dennis Allen is below. A worthy watch to get to know the background, upbringing, and character of your Head Coach.

Hopefully it's just the first in a series that gets better every time. Atta Boy Dennis! Keep Chopping 1Wood! And Keep Doing What You're Doing!

No one's ever called you a man of few words, have they?

 

[Artifactual]

No one's ever called you a man of few words, have they?

No Ma'am!

I got horse from typing all of that.

 

[David Robbins]

Dennis is cool now

 

[HoustonGold]

Bump. Lol

 

[LonghornSaintsFan]

A thread that aged like a glass of milk would in the hot sun in that 2 week span.

 

[rlemieux]

Don’t worry. Mickey said he’s got a hall of fame trajectory.

 

[SubmarineMike]

Bump. Lol

Is this "Bump" implying that the team didn't make massive improvements over the offseason, or that we were almost able to battle back from a batted pick-6 and the dumbest punt return play in memory despite having zero uninjured players on the field?

Come on.

 

[Zztop]

 

[HoustonGold]

Is this "Bump" implying that the team didn't make massive improvements over the offseason, or that we were almost able to battle back from a batted pick-6 and the dumbest punt return play in memory despite having zero uninjured players on the field?

Come on.

Talk to us after the Chiefs game next week.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

I wish he’d have taken the field goal this week and last, but I ain’t mad at him. Proud of him and the team this season….lots of injuries, lots of bad luck. Lack of talent on the o line etc.

I do hope someone talks to Shaheed about even trying to field that punt at the 2.

 

[HoustonGold]

I wish he’d have taken the field goal this week and last, but I ain’t mad at him. Proud of him and the team this season….lots of injuries, lots of bad luck. Lack of talent on the o line etc.

I do hope someone talks to Shaheed about even trying to field that punt at the 2.

Would you give him an extension?

 

[Igordão]

Is this "Bump" implying that the team didn't make massive improvements over the offseason, or that we were almost able to battle back from a batted pick-6 and the dumbest punt return play in memory despite having zero uninjured players on the field?

Come on.

Dennis Allen teams special.