Considering how bad former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen was, all anyone had to do to be an improvement over him was come in with a positive attitude and try to embody the opposite of what he stood for. Through his first few games, former special teams coordinator and interim head coach Darren Rizzi seemed to have that figured out.
Rizzi has gone 3-2 as Saints head coach, with one of his losses coming down to the final play against the Washington Commanders. Even in a market flooded with quality coaching candidates this cycle, Rizzi is doing his best to show the Saints he is the man for the job.
While few may have expected him to beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in December, it was not unreasonable to expect a game where they weren't down by three scores entering the third quarter as Green Bay dominated time of possession all game long.
Throw in some genuinely baffling clock management and two poor turnovers from rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, and you get a performance so rotten that it may have singlehandedly taken Rizzi out of consideration for the permanent head coaching role.
Darren Rizzi may have blown his shot to become Saints head coach on MNF
Before the game, Adam Schefter had reported the Saints have a high degree of interest in Lions defensive coordinator and former New Orleans defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn as their next leading man. Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is also getting some consideration.
Up against names like that, Rizzi is facing long odds. Rizzi needed to sell ownership on the idea that keeping some vestiges of the Allen era is the best long-term strategy for this team. After nights like this, it will be incredibly hard to make a compelling argument.
To be fair to Rizzi, he hasn't been dealt a winning hand. Derek Carr's injury has forced him to yo-yo between a rookie in Rattler and a player in Jake Haener who has proven to be inferior when compared to Rattler. With a barren roster complete with holes all over the defense, any coach would find it tough to win.
Still, this is a results-based business, and Rizzi getting smacked around like this on national TV could be one of the great lowlights in a difficult season for fans. Rizzi will probably be coaching his final two games with the Saints as the year winds to a close.