Perspective - Health of entire team aside, if DA was merely our defensive coordinator, he’d likely be getting fired over the mini-bye (2 Viewers)

[woohoosaint]

During the preseason, my prediction for the season was 5-12.
Now that it's trending that way, it feels somewhat nightmarish to me...like the 60s, 70s, early 80s and Ditka era Saints.

We could've gone full rebuild after Payton left, but Loomis decided to reload the roster and hire DA as HC (from within the previous coaching staff)

That move probably pushed us back several years in getting back to respectability.

 

[blackadder]

I’m not so sure even as DC Allen would be fired. Same management tolerated worst defenses in league history for quite some time, and let Payton keep terrible crony staff for an awful long time.

Dennis Allen ran Rob Ryan’s Secondary because Sean Payton ordered Rob Ryan to accept that. And that secondary was trash. Among the worst ever. To be fair we had no pass rush then either so that made it look all the worse.

As a DC Dennis Allen was just competent enough to get you through if you had a solid offense. But he did t makes difference in big or tight games. He had a knack for giving up the field late in close games. He was the author of the Minneapolis Miracle.

But to the original point. Loomis hasn’t ever brought swift accountability.

 

[St. Widge]

No question. There’s no doubt in my mind that if he was just a DC, his HC would be firing him over the mini-bye.

There’s no use having a defensive head coach if he’s fielding a completely terrible defense. His entire value has now been lost.

I doubt DC Dennis Allen would be fired for one okay game followed by two terrible games. Especially when his defense was good the first 4 games. Payton let Gibbs, Ryan, and Spagnuolo get away with worse.

But it doesn't really matter at this point. Like Richard Sherman said, these are good players that just aren't playing for DA. And the first 4 games show that they have enough talent to be a good defense. There are some injuries, but most of those are in the secondary and it's the run defense that is really getting them destroyed. There is plenty enough talent to put a good but not great defense on the field and DA has done that for years. The fact that it's not happening now tells me that it's about players not putting forth full effort and just not buying in.

That kind of thing can to some extent be excused for a DC because motivation and buy-in is mostly the job of the HC. But for HC Dennis Allen who is also the de facto DC, it's fatal. His guys just aren't bought in and are just playing out the string. They have turned a deaf ear to him and that as much as anything is why he needs to go.

DA didn't suddenly forget how to coach and call a defense. His players just don't care to listen to him anymore and they don't care enough to fully commit to giving great effort. Especially not on a Thursday nigh of a short week.

 

[Elvis]

At this point, there really is no good reason to keep DA. Rizzi can run the team and ST. Woods can run and call the defense. Kubiak can run and call the offense. There is nothing DA is providing that is worth keeping for the remainder of the season and firing him would be the first bit of accountability we've seen in years.

 

[BIG KITCH]

Payton fired Spagnuolo the first moment he could after returning from his bogus suspension following Spagnuolo's historically horrific defense. Probably did it by text the very instant his bogus suspension was lifted.

There should be consequences to such high incompetency. 570 yards rushing surrendered in two consecutive games should have earned some repercussions somewhere.

 

[nolaswede]

You have to wonder if DA's attention has been pulled to the offensive side of the ball during the week with all of the injuries and personnel shuffling. It would be understandable. If that's the case, hand off the play calling duties. Heck, let's see if Michael Hodges can give them a spark.

I wouldn’t be surprised since we only scored 3 points in 59 minutes! Feels like DA had a hand in that as well.

 

[SystemShock]

Dead last in the league, with our personnel and a supposed "good" defensive coordinator leading the team. There is just no excuse.

What about points allowed?

I know the 2 last games were bad, but the first 4 games, the defense allowed 16.4 points per game.

By the same token, take away the first 2 weeks, and the offense has scored 15.8 points per game the last 5 games.

Now, you can't really put injuries aside. This last game, off the top of my head, the offense was without Olave, Shaheed, Taysom, McCoy, Ruiz, played half the game with the 3rd string LG, and a rookie at QB starting his 2nd game.

That said, I'm all for a change in the coaching staff, and I mean the entire coaching staff.

 

[SaintswonSBXLIV]

Agree. Since 2017, the Saints have failed to consistently stop running quarterbacks and tight ends and close out halves. Allen simply fails to fix problems.

 

[Judge_Smails]

I totally agree. Great post.

 

[mnjordan]

Dead last in the league, with our personnel and a supposed "good" defensive coordinator leading the team. There is just no excuse.

Good God. I didn't realize it was that bad. I mean, I'm watching the games and seeing the miserable performances/lack of effort, but there it is in cold hard numbers.

So, Dennis, I have to ask - what would you say you do here?

 

[nolaswede]

Good God. I didn't realize it was that bad. I mean, I'm watching the games and seeing the miserable performances/lack of effort, but there it is in cold hard numbers.

So, Dennis, I have to ask - what would you say you do here?

I’m a people person God Dammit!!

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

Had not thought of it this way, excellent point.

 

[OldTimeGamer1966]

Dennis Allen is a good defensive coordinator that much has been proven but not everyone is head coach material and that has been proven his record shows this. This is his second time around and he is failing miserably. I would rather have a healthy team and win but how many years did Payton deal with injuries and still manage 7 or 8 wins we won't see that many. I know this year is absurd with injuries and that does affect the team but if anything, he should have this team fired up and united. I will take a loss with effort but a loss with the look of apathy and disgust is horrible.

The basics are not even being done and what was that time out only to take a knee? Weird stuff LOL

 

[Paul]

I doubt DC Dennis Allen would be fired for one okay game followed by two terrible games. Especially when his defense was good the first 4 games. Payton let Gibbs, Ryan, and Spagnuolo get away with worse.

But it doesn't really matter at this point. Like Richard Sherman said, these are good players that just aren't playing for DA. And the first 4 games show that they have enough talent to be a good defense. There are some injuries, but most of those are in the secondary and it's the run defense that is really getting them destroyed. There is plenty enough talent to put a good but not great defense on the field and DA has done that for years. The fact that it's not happening now tells me that it's about players not putting forth full effort and just not buying in.

That kind of thing can to some extent be excused for a DC because motivation and buy-in is mostly the job of the HC. But for HC Dennis Allen who is also the de facto DC, it's fatal. His guys just aren't bought in and are just playing out the string. They have turned a deaf ear to him and that as much as anything is why he needs to go.

DA didn't suddenly forget how to coach and call a defense. His players just don't care to listen to him anymore and they don't care enough to fully commit to giving great effort. Especially not on a Thursday nigh of a short week.

I understand that professional sports is much different from other industries, and I don’t disagree with anything you said - I just find it pitiful that well-compensated people need another well-compensated person to motivate them to do their best at their job. I’ve been managing large teams for the better part of 20 years, and I myself have had some terrible bosses, but their terribleness did not deter my work ethic, self-motivation, and drive to do my best at my work. My ability to provide for and support my family, my personal and professional reputation, and my own value in the workplace are on the line everyday and I am solely responsible for all of those things.

It’s just sad, that’s all.

 

[Elvis]

Dennis Allen is a good defensive coordinator that much has been proven

The 983 yards his defense has given up in the last week says otherwise.