Look, at some point you are who your record says you are. And Dennis Allen’s record has little positives to say about him. The New Orleans Saints are 4-9 under his management this season. He’s lost 37 of his 49 games as a head coach in the NFL, making for a career winning percentage of just .245. For context, 17 different coaches have worked 48 to 50 games in the league. Allen ranks second-to-last in winning percentage out of that group, with only Rod Marinelli (.208 in 48 games) finishing below him.
Other numbers don’t help his case. Allen has kicked field goals on more short-yardage situations (fourth down with 1 or 2 yards to go) while tied or leading through just 13 games (5 times) than his predecessor Sean Payton did across three full seasons (3 times). The Saints are tied for the second-fewest fourth down conversion attempts (8) on the year so far. They rank second-highest in field goals and punts inside opposing territory. He’s the least-aggressive coach in the NFL, and New Orleans’ record reflects the consequences of that.
It’s worse because expectations were higher given the situation he walked into. Allen inherited a team that won nine games last year and sent four players to the Pro Bowl, adding another Pro Bowler in Tyrann Mathieu and three rookies drafted in the top 50 picks, and he’s got nothing to show for it. The Saints are 4-9 and as close to mathematical elimination from the playoffs as you can get without making it official.
And so many of their early-season problems remain unresolved. The Saints lead the league in offensive pre-snap penalties with 22 false starts, 4 delay of game fouls, and an infraction for having too many men on the field. They are a sloppy, poorly-coached unit that can’t get out of its own way.
Maybe things change during the bye week. It’s the ideal time to shift responsibilities around within the coaching staff and audition a new play caller on offense (passing game coordinator Ronald Curry is a prime candidate to take the wheel from Pete Carmichael Jr.). But the Saints have drug their feet for 12 months. With their season effectively over, what motivation would they have to take action now? We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out. Given their inaction so far, we may be waiting for a while before the Saints make a move.
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Opinion: Saints shouldn’t delay inevitable severance with Dennis Allen
Story originally appeared on Saints Wire