SmashMouth

One of the first things guard Tim Lelito noticed when the New Orleans Saints stepped on the field for their first practice: There was a better flow.

Last summer, the tide crashed into dam after dam, creating a choppy current. The defense would get lined up. A whistle would blow. A coach would yell, and the defense would get lined up again.

It was constant. Confusion reigned. But that's no longer the case: The walls are down, and the players are just playing.



"They're getting aligned faster. Everyone knows the assignments," Lelito said. "Compared to last year, there's hardly any (missed assignments) this year on the defensive side of the ball. We're stopping practice a lot less. Coach isn't blowing the whistle: 'Hey, line up here. What are you doing over there?' It's better for us, because we're getting more reps in and getting better as a team."

It's the Dennis Allen effect. Realistically, there's only so much difference a coach can make on a team. He can design the perfect scheme and teach all of its nuances, but the players have to go out and execute.

But a coach can put his players in a better position to succeed and make sure they aren't shooting themselves in the foot with mindless mistakes or as the result of poor teaching. At that, Allen already has made a noticeable difference.

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