Why Mickey Loomis' comments on Dennis Allen are reflective on him
New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis defended head coach Dennis Allen’s position with the Saints. The lengths he went are something else though.
Now look. It isn’t done foreign concept for an NFL General Manager to go to bat for their head coach. It’s especially true when the coach has been raked through the coals as much as Dennis Allen has during his time with the New Orleans Saints. With that being said, how far Mickey Loomis went to ensure everyone that the Saints organization has Allen’s back may have been a bridge too far.
When speaking to the media about Allen, Loomis compared his start as a head coach to three former coaches who just may be three of the four heads on the Mount Rushmore of NFL head coaches.
#Saints GM Mickey Loomis on keeping HC Dennis Allen: "Chuck Noll his first three years: 1-13, 5-9, 6-8. They recognized he's a good football coach. Bill Belichick, his first three years: 6-10, 7-9, 7-9. Tom Landry: 0-11, 4-9, 5-8, 4-10, 5-8. All of them Hall of Fame coaches. The… pic.twitter.com/n8O7M6Zg9e
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 17, 2024
Does this mean that Loomis thinks that fourth spot on the mountain is vacant for Allen to grab? Perhaps that’s too much. Still, this comparison can also be seen as too much. WAY too much even.
Couple of things to address. Chuck Noll’s Pittsburgh Steelers were littered with Hall of Fame talent that the front office drafted, including a Hall of Fame quarterback. Bill Belichick started winning once he left Cleveland (and they moved to Baltimore) when he got more Hall of Fame talent including a quarterback named Tom Brady. Perhaps you’ve heard of him. Tom Landry meanwhile started when the Dallas Cowboys were an expansion team, and once he got his quarterbacks, Hall of Fame or otherwise, not to mention Hall of Fame rich rosters, he started winning. It should also be noted Noll and Landry coached before free agency/heavy salary cap era.
So basically, while it can be commendable that Loomis is sticking up for his coach, perhaps he should look inward, or in a mirror, as to why Allen has been struggling. This isn’t saying that Allen is a great coach, but he isn’t a bad one either. The fact is the Saints need to turn the page as a franchise, and try to DRAFT AND DEVELOP THEIR OWN QUARTERBACK.
Apologies for shouting.
The point is, it’s great that the New Orleans Saints brass is on the same page. As far as future success goes, not exactly ideal. Let’s see what happens though.