Saints: 3 names who could replace Sean Payton in the event of another postseason collapse
By Drake Lohse
No. 1 Dennis Allen
Dennis Allen has revitalized the Saints’ defense.
Of course, it helps that the Saints have gotten younger, faster, and flashier on the defensive side of the ball. Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Davenport, and Sheldon Rankins would make any defensive coordinator look good.
Allen has responded well to his defensive’s energetic reemergence. His commanding, yet enthusiastic sideline presence is the perfect counter to the sometimes overabundance of energy that comes with a group of young players.
Allen isn’t afraid to speak his mind and upon taking the reigns of the Saints’ D in 2015 clearly outlined his vision for building a defense that could become equally as commanding as the offense.
Allen came through on his word. During Drew Brees’ five-game absence, the defense was instrumental in keeping the team afloat, at one point allowing only two touchdowns through twelve quarters.
The 47-year-old has the experience; he was hired on as the Raider’s head coach but was grounded shortly after taking off. An 0-4 record as a head coach doesn’t look great, but four games certainly isn’t enough to measure any sort of worth as a play-caller.
A shift to a defensive mindset at head coach might ensure a stalwart culture, opposite the mentality that kept the Saints out of the playoffs for so many years.