Dennis Allen’s second stint as an NFL head coach is beginning to really feel lots like his first.
Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals dropped the New Orleans Saints to 2-4. Not even midway by means of their season, the Saints are in a precarious place; proceed at their present fee and they are going to be taking part in meaningless soccer in November and December. Even although they’re at present only a recreation out of first within the NFC South, they need to anticipate a workforce like Tampa Bay with Tom Brady will ultimately get it collectively.
The Saints put collectively a efficiency that for 57 minutes was ok to win. The offense was transferring the ball. The protection got here up enormous with back-to-back sacks that left the Bengals settling for a area objective late within the fourth.
The offense’s failure to maintain a drive on their subsequent possession arrange the Bengals’ game-winning drive.
The defensive execution on Ja’Marr Chase’s landing was horrible, and for a coach that is constructed his resume on the power of the previous few Saints’ defenses, the workforce’s incapacity to return up huge within the recreation’s largest second will imply Allen shoulders among the blame.
No, he did not make Bradley Roby or Tyrann Mathieu miss the deal with. But they need to have by no means been on the sphere.
It’s not simply Allen that is being questioned following the loss. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael hasn’t made a great impression in his first yr out from beneath Sean Payton’s wing.
Taysom Hill gained the NFC Offensive Player of the Week final week after scoring 4 touchdowns on 10 offensive touches, together with 9 carries. He had 9 touches on Sunday, with simply 5 as dashing makes an attempt. After dashing 4 instances for 39 yards within the first half, he had one try for no yards within the second half.
His crimson zone utilization was additionally curious after he was a focus final week. In the primary half, the workforce elected to run him on a second-and-12 from the Cincinnati 18-yard line in what would usually be a passing scenario. The play misplaced the Saints two yards. Then, on a first-and-10 within the fourth quarter from the Bengals’ 14-yard-line, Hill was introduced in to try a go. It was incomplete.
He had two touches within the fourth quarter and none on the fateful possession that ought to have led to the Saints’ bleeding out the clock.
The Saints have been stricken by turnovers and penalties the primary 5 weeks, hallmarks of undisciplined soccer groups. The missed tackles and poor situational teaching this week are two extra indicators that the Saints’ points run a lot deeper than the instability on the quarterback place.
Allen is now 10-32 general in his 4 seasons as head coach. He coached the Oakland Raiders between 2012-14 and was fired following a 0-4 start in 2014. He was forgiven for having the duty of main a Raiders franchise that was on the time within the midst of a 13-year postseason drought.
He does not have that cushion in New Orleans.
Good groups discover methods to win video games that they haven’t any enterprise successful. Bad groups lose video games they haven’t any enterprise shedding. With Allen in cost, the Saints have gotten the latter.
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