The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started

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Dennis Allen runs a highly aggressive scheme that is designed to be multiple, always on the attack, but simple enough that his players are always able to execute. Nick Underhill of The Advocate wrote this article about how Allen’s scheme allows him to be aggressive without sacrificing sound defense. We saw a lot of those concepts come into play this season, and that is despite the Saints going from what was supposed to be a deep secondary to an ICU in a matter of weeks. By the end of the second week of the season, the Saints had already lost their top five cornerbacks going into the year, and their 1st round pick Sheldon Rankins who was supposed to help improve the pass rush.

Allen’s unit fought through that adversity, and while at times the results were exactly what you would expect when you are playing a bunch of guys either past their prime, or who never had one at all, improvement was shown. The Saints went from one of the worst teams in the league at defending against the run to an above average one this season under Allen. And while the defense moved only from awful to mediocre, that is still a major improvement.

The reality is that Dennis Allen is still lacking some key pieces to run his scheme right, which is why he should not only be given the time to bring in those pieces, but also has earned that right. Allen was able to bring out significant improvement in the defense with a bunch of mismatched (and often misfit) toys to play with. There was a black hole opposite Cameron Jordan all season long, he never had a healthy group of NFL quality cornerbacks after the first half against the Raiders, and his linebacking unit was poor at best.

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Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Injuries to multiple positions didn't exactly help Allen, and whilst I think we should jump at the chance to get Wade Phillips whilst we can, Allen's second half adjustments were really good.

Even when Breaux came back, he must not have been fully recovered or very rusty as he had regressed a lot.

Hopefully guys like Kikaha, Breaux, PJ williams, Damian Swann, Erik Harris and numerous others can come back and stay healthy.

I think someone who was often overlooked last season was David Onyemata, he didn't make any "wow" plays but he was solid for a late round pick.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Very good read. Thanks for posting!

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Well since he's going nowhere we'll get to see ? By game 6 the dust should settle and we will see what we got? I think Paytons job depends on how he performs.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Or he could just bring in Wade to help.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

There was a good reason Denver and Oakland hired him, even though we was one of the youngest in the league at that time. He was only 38 years old when Denver made him their DC, and 39 years old when Oakland made him a HC. Thats barely out of diapers as far as NFL coaches go.

He has a lot of potential to become a great HC one day. A few more years of seasoning with Payton and Company and I could see him becoming a great HC one day and perhaps even our next HC.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I like what Dennis did this year. 6 CBs injured before the 2nd week and he still managed to improve the defense from historically bad to 27th. The real improvement was the second half adjustments. Our D was solid (for the most part) in the second half of games. That to me is the sign of a good coach. Give him another year or 2 more to start bringing in his type of players before judging him too much.

We were 17th in PPG given up in the second half at 11.3.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Looking at our roster, I don't see the personnel to run a 3-4 (Wade type defense) and it would be another 2 years before Saints had proper draft picks/players in place to be successful.

Square pegs ... round holes.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Why would Wade Phillips agree to that? Wade has been a head coach in this league. He is an extremely successful DC.

I think everyone has forgotten that there are currently 6 open head coach positions. So exactly why would Wade take a demotion (or even a parallel transfer) to come here when he now has the opportunity to run the show again?

SFIAH

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

He's in the waning years of hid coaching career. He has a ring already as DC. He has stated he wants to stay in Denver. But if he does not, why not have him come in and help with Allen in charge? And why not adapt a system to fit the players at hand? What is Allen doing with Anthony, a LB that was practically ROY?

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Because Phillips has his system that's he's been running for nearly 30 years. As you stated he's on the back end of career. So why bother with having to share responsibility with someone who does not share philosophy and doesn't have the personnel to implement. You get exactly the same mess that you saw at the beginning of 2015 with Allen and Ryan.

In short there is no upside for Phillips. I am pretty certain his first thought would be: "I'm too old for this ****."

Different issue. Allen wasn't involved with the Anthony pick. So Anthony isn't Allen's guy. And of course Vitt was coaching the linebackers, of which none have been properly developed. I was thinking about the fact that all the productive linebackers the Saints have had in the last 10 years came from elsewhere. Vilma, Fujita, Shanle. Even Ellerbe and Robinson now. None were drafted by us.

Honestly, if folks simply labeled these thoughts as wishful thinking, I'd probably leave them alone. But since it seems that getting Phillips in here is being seriously pitched, then I have to ask what's in it for Phillips? I cannot see any upside for him.

SFIAH

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

year 1

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Wade should have been hired instead of RR, but Low Energy had to have his guy, the one he could control and that would keep all the people he just fired in place. The defense sucks because of Low Energy. He makes bad decisions with the coaches he hires, poor FA decisions, offers terrible contracts that end up putting us in salary cap hell, and can't draft to save his life.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Can you do nothing but ***** about the past? You are a like a skipping record. It is the same stuff over and over and over and over again. Why not just copy and paste. Or have you already. Your constantly obsessing over your perception of the past has no relevance to the present or the future. What is it with this strange obsession?

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Ding ding! We have a winner! :stupid:

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I have made exactly the same points and have had exactly the same question.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I thought Allen did a great job in Denver especially with the offense they had there that consistently put pressure on them. I am interested to see how he does now that the NFL has a years worth of data on his system. I think what worries me is that we could be many players away. I am not sold on our LB's at all, and I don't think our backend is all that good. Yes we had injuries, but PJ williams has sat 30.5 games out of 32, that's not a ringing endorsement . Potential and skill are there, but health has to be a major worry. Swann had potential and then he has been injured. Breaux didn't look the same after coming back from his injury, hope that changes. Will be interesting to see how he does. I don't think DA is a bad coach by any means, but we are some players away and have some real question marks.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

See! That wasn't so bad.

:bng:

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

now lets see what cards he is dealt for year 2

i gave rob time under a self imposed gag order. i hated him before the ink dried

and i like DA so i can give him time.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

2 1/2 years if he makes it that long.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

And why wouldn't he? If I was you I would be hoping he would be the long term answer rather than implying that he WILL fail. I have a feeling that you want to say that you were right. What would that mean?

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

It would mean our D failed again.Let the D underperform and I'll let you tell me I was right. No more excuses.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Didnt want Ryan at the time wanted Romeo Crennel

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I dont think anyone was happy with RR getting the gig. I am willing to give DA time to get us where we need to be.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

So you are apparently hoping that happens for your self satisfaction. That is exactly the response I expected when I asked the question.

I have never, and will never, think negatively about my Saints. I have lived and breathed the Saints since I was nine years old back in the summer of 1967 when my father was transferred through the Air Force to Louisiana and I discovered my new state was getting its own NFL team. At no point over the past fifty years have I ever denigrated the Saints. I have never complained. I have simply enjoyed the fact that I have my own team to SUPPORT day in and day out. I have received quite a bit of ridicule over the years because of my non dying support, but I never have and never will speak badly of them or theirs. Win, lose, draw ... I will never, ever stop giving the Saints my utmost, most fervent, support.

I will always continue to support everything about the team that I have supported wholeheartedly for most of my long life to this point. It is not personal toward you and others like you. It is VERY personal for me, however. VERY PERSONAL!

:bng:

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I'm hoping I'm wrong actually. I just can't believe in Allen when there's no justification in his DC skills as a whole. I love my Saints and always will but in noway I have to toot the horn of a DC that has proven absolutely nothing and until he proves me wrong I want. I drank the kool-aid to many times not to wise up about our D. You can drink however much you want but the proof will be in the pudding. He's on the clock now lets just see what he does?

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

The Saints FO have money this off season to sign a legitimate player or two. They also have the #11 draft selection (hopefully more defensive help/edge rusher), and a healthy Rankins in year 2.

Anyone who expects top production from the mess Dennis Allen inherited is irrational.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I surely don't expect top production K Major but I do expect us to field a consistantly good D. I would never expect Allen to ever have a D ranked above lets say 22 but Brees needs much more help than what he's got over the years.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Mike McCarthy of the Packers has led them to 8 straight playoff appearances

At the mid way point, they had more losses than wins. Next year is playoffs or bust for Payton.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

And watch the Pack in FA, they don't go after the big signings. They do like 2nd or third wave guys.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Your right. I work over in Wisconsin all the time and some of the nut jobs(packer diehards) talk about the way McCarthy and Thopson draft and pick players for depth all the time.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

Yep, the homer's up here can be insufferable but obviously the Packers are doing something right.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I don't necessarily think that because someone gets hired at a young age that it means they have great potential. I think it's just become more of a trend to hire young coaches who can "relate" to this generation of spoiled young athletes. As far as their qualifications, too much is often made of short term results that position coaches get, without considering the talent they had at their disposal.

We had a good secondary when Allen was here the first time, but we had a lot of talent at DB back then. I've never been sold on Allen as a teacher, or schemer. Let's not forget that Oakland also hired Lane Kiffin to be their head coach. Denver hired Josh Mcdaniels as head coach at an extremely young age as well. He had that one year and hasn't had a head job since. A lot of coordinators look great working under Bill Belichick, only to go elsewhere and either flop, or be the epitome of average.

That's why I hope whichever new assistants are hired are people with a track record of repeated success, and who players can vouch for as being a positive influence on their development. Not just some hot new names who haven't proven they can build anything.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

For the record, I'm not against hiring young coaches, so long as they fit the necessary criteria and have that track record established. Some guys get a head start and are able to establish themselves at a pretty young age. Then there are these guys who basically ride the coattails of a great coach, or really good personnel, and parlay that into a job they aren't ready for.

Re: The New Orleans Saints Should Let Dennis Allen Finish the Rebuild He Started
 

I think the biggest need on the team is DE and keeping our DT. I think Defense can be middle of the pack next year and with our WR having one more year and with our top five LT in the NFL back we are playoff bound.