Small step to 25th is giant leap for Saints' defense, Dennis Allen (1 Viewer)

[Andrus]

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METAIRIE, La. – If Dennis Allen keeps this up, there’s a good chance he could become the first New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator to last more than three seasons under Sean Payton.

Allen hasn’t exactly worked miracles in his first full year as the Saints’ DC. But he absolutely has the much-maligned unit pointed in the right direction.

The Saints (7-8) rank 25th in the league in yards allowed (369.4 per game). That may not seem like much, but it’s a vast improvement over their 31st-place ranking in each of the past two years. They also ranked 31st through the first six weeks of this season.

But they’re 10th in the NFL over the past seven weeks (324.7 yards per game).

“Well, first off structurally and from an organizational standpoint, clearly it’s night and day. That’s been a positive,” Payton said of how Allen has put his stamp on the unit since replacing the fired Rob Ryan last November.

By Mike Triplett | ESPN Staff Writer

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