During the first year of the Dennis Allen regime, the New Orleans Saints are at their lowest of points since 2006. FACT. The loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17-16 put the black and gold in the same conversation as the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints will always be linked forever with Tom Brady and the Falcons — being the biggest collapse in the regular season against Brady. FACT.
That stings. The truth hurts. And yet the facts are just that. FACT.
And as Sean Payton would do after every loss — the blame lies with him at the time and the other coaches. Of course, Who Dat Nation should not excuse Allen in any way. The buck stops with him. And he understands what comes with the territory as an NFL head coach. Especially, being a retread with the Los Angeles Raiders.
Also, the 4-9 record leaves little room for optimism. Four games remaining on the schedule — a 2-2 finish from here seems to be a fantasy. And even so, a 6-11 finish isn’t something to write home about. FACT.
Why Dennis Allen Deserves One More Year As Saints Head Coach
So those just are just a few facts to chew on. Like it or not, the Saints go into the goodbye week with little to play for as an organization.
The percentage for the Saints making the playoffs stands around 1%. As a team, the goals are now different.
Still, there is plenty to show for the players in this locker room and Dennis Allen. Adversity. Adversity is not something sought after. Usually, a coach will reference the word “adversity” once the worse is over.
But it’s here. Not tomorrow or next week. What is Dennis Allen made of? The last four games can make or break him. Unless the Saints go 0-4, Allen deserves a second season.
Now the reasons why Allen should come back. It’s going to be a hard sell but hear me out.
Enter Bill Belichick. Here is example one.
Belichick was not always a legend. And he was a retread just like Dennis Allen. In his first five years with the Cleveland Browns, Belichick finished 36-44 for a 45% winning percentage. One playoff appearance he made was in his fourth year. Still, he started out 6-10, 7-9 and 7-9 in the first three years at the Browns.
The most important point is that Belichick landed a second chance with the New England Patriots. His first year Belichick finished with his worse record at 5-11. The rest is history…
Year Two is Where the Magic Happens
Every team is different, but that 5-11 record surely made Patriots fans uneasy.
Example two — Pete Carroll. Again this is another retread, albeit Carroll did find success at USC before heading back to the Seattle Seahawks.
Few remember Carroll was fired twice in the NFL. His first year with the New York Jets came to a grinding halt at 6-10. FIRED.
The second stint went much better. Starting at 10-6 in his first year and a playoff berth seemed promising. Unfortunately, the downward trend of 9-7 and 8-8 got him fired yet again. He then went into college football and thrived. Finishing with a 97-19 record with a 83% winning record, the NFL came calling again.
Once again, he struggled in his first two seasons at 7-9 in both. The rest is history.
Even with Hall of Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson — his first two years going 1-15 and 7-9. The combined record equaled to an 8-24 record. That’s a 25% winning percentage. Lower than Dennis Allen’s record with the Saints.
Now put that aside for a second. There’s no one comparing Dennis Allen to any of these three. FACT. But year two is critical. Without having a second year, there will be a lingering question of what if.
Evidence for Optimism
And this season has been “Misery Part 2” for sure. Be that as it may, the Saints will get a first round pick if Sean Payton returns with another team. The Saints own his rights till 2024.
Furthermore, the total offense this year is actually better for yards per game by nearly 40 yards compared to 2021. The defense has underperformed this year. On the other hand the last three games the Saints allowed under 17 points. A trend at least in the right direction.
Ultimately, it’s easy to say fire Dennis Allen. Bench Andy Dalton. This is the easy way out. And honestly, bringing in a new coach provides no guarantees. Bring Dennis Allen back. Not because he’s earned the right,
but it’s the best option over two years. One more year to prove he’s not a mistake. If the Saints fire him after one season, there’s not enough sample size to gauge. As far as the coaches that’s another story. But bring back Dennis Allen for one more year. One more year to see if he can ride the waves of adversity.
