Tag: Gayle Benson

How big a part did fans pay in Saints’ coaching change?

Saints fans were frustrated with Dennis Allen for a long time. Eventually, those frustrations became too loud for Gayle Benson to ignore:

When New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, not Mickey Loomis, made the decision to fire Dennis Allen, she listened to the fan base, literally.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said, “Benson and her group was hearing from the fan base in a way they hadn’t before.” The fan base wasn’t the reason Allen was relieved of his duties, but their vocal opposition to him remaining as coach played a part. Breer reported Benson’s “resolve was strengthened through that.”

Saints fans have been frustrated with Allen for a while. Many fans hoped for his termination at the end of last season. Allen was .500 as the Saints head coach coming into 2024, but with context it wasn’t impressive. The inability to take advantage of a weak schedule or defeat quality teams over two years had taken its toll.

Things improved to start the season. The addition of Klint Kubiak had the Saints looking like a high flying offense and one of the best teams in the NFL. That may have made the seven game losing skid hurt even more because those first two weeks were essentially false hope.

Being embarrassed at home in back to back weeks against the Buccaneers and Broncos only incited fans more. The chants for change weren’t always vocal, but the volume was louder than ever. Loud enough to reach ownership.

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Internal and external pressure led Gayle Benson to fire Dennis Allen

Internal feedback from players and external pressure from frustrated fans led Gayle Benson to fire Saints head coach Dennis Allen:

Gayle Benson made an unprecedented decision to fire New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen this week after the team’s 2-7 start to the season, and it took a combination of internal feedback from players and external pressure from frustrated fans to sway her mind.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Benson and her ownership group “was hearing from the fan base in a way they hadn’t before, and their resolve was strengthened through that, to the point where perception inside the building holds that Allen might’ve been fired Monday even if he’d beaten the Carolina Panthers.”

That lines up with reporting from NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, who wrote that Benson had spoken with several players to gauge their feel for the team’s direction. And what they told her wasn’t good.

Benson, who inherited the team from her late husband in 2018, had been content to trust Loomis on football decisions. But his trust in a coach with a losing record even before the Saints hired him warranted reevaluation. Loomis later told NOF’s Mike Triplett that he characterized it as more of an “organization decision” than a serious disagreement with Benson.

Still, at the end of the day this is Benson’s team, and this was her decision to make. Allen was a big part of their success in the playoff pushes of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, but by now it’s clear he wasn’t cut out to be a full-time head coach. He’ll be searching for his next opportunity elsewhere. Loomis and Benson will be looking for their next coach.

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Sean Payton’s return is all the Saints are talking about

NFL insider Josina Anderson reports Sean Payton’s return is all that’s being discussed in New Orleans. It likely isn’t anticipation of catching up, either:

Don’t let people tell you Sean Payton returning is just another game for him or the New Orleans Saints. That may be the message publicly, but Josina Anderson reported a league source told her Sean Payton’s return is “all they been talking about down here.”

Anderson inquired if the Saints were ready for him to return. The response was an emphatic, “oh yeah.” It’s doubtful they’re excited for a chance to catch up. It was reported earlier this week by Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan, some people didn’t want Drew Brees’ induction to be on the same day as Payton’s return.

There appears to be love lost for the Saints’ former head coach. Anderson’s report furthers this belief.

With Brees being in the building, everything will look very cozy. You’ll see pictures of Payton with players, Gayle Benson and maybe Mickey Loomis.

If you believe the reports, though, there is an underlying tension at least from the Saints’ side. That comes from the front office.

This game means more for everyone involved. There was also a report that New Orleans rejected Payton’s attempt to return to the team after his year away from coaching. If true, Payton wouldn’t forget or forgive that. Both sides step into this game with a point to prove.

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Could Saints follow Jets’ example with an unprecedented move at head coach?

The Jets broke 25 years of precedent by firing head coach Robert Saleh midseason. Could the Saints make a similar bold move?

The New York Jets broke 25 years of precedent by firing head coach Robert Saleh midseason. Unsatisfied with his team’s 2-3 start and Saleh’s 20-36 record, team owner Woody Johnson chose to act boldly and go in a new direction just five games into the 2024 season. It remains to be seen how much input Aaron Rodgers had on the move given all of the Jets’ kowtowing to his demands over the last year, but this was big news in the NFL  either way.

Could the New Orleans Saints make a similar bold move? Gayle Benson has only hired one coach after inheriting the team from her late husband Tom Benson, who never fired a coach during the season since buying the team in 1985. But Dennis Allen’s position isn’t much different than Saleh’s was before the Jets took action.

Just like the Jets, the Saints are 2-3 right now. Allen has gone 18-21 through three seasons as head coach, which admittedly isn’t as low a winning percentage (.462) as Saleh (.357), even if it is on the wrong side of .500. But how much more losing can the Saints take? They’re coming off their third straight loss.

Every week Allen is slumping at the podium talking about how his team has gotten outplayed and outcoached, and how they’ve made too many mistakes that cost them big opportunities. There’s nothing insightful about that and it raises the question of whether Allen knows how to fix these problems. Allen is supposed to be known for the strength of his defense but they’re getting carved up by has-beens like Kareem Hunt (102 rushing yards, his most since 2020) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (130 receiving yards, his most since the 2020 Wild Card Round). Every week there’s a new tight end streaking through the secondary with a neon sign around his neck showing that he’s open.

He still hasn’t figured out how to compete with good teams. The Saints have lost so many games in the same ways these last three years that they’ve started to run together. Something needs to change, and fast. And it might need to start at the top of the organization.

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If Dennis Allen’s seat wasn’t hot before, it had better be now

A 2-0 start quieted calls for Dennis Allen’s job. But if his seat wasn’t hot before, it had better be after the Saints fell to 2-2 on his watch:

Dennis Allen was a trendy pick to be the first head coach fired this year, until a 2-0 start put that notion on ice. But if his seat wasn’t hot before, it had better be after the New Orleans Saints fell to 2-2 on Sunday. Allen hasn’t done anything to win that much goodwill from Mickey Loomis, Gayle Benson, and other decision-makers on Airline Drive.

Of the ten head coaches hired in 2022, five have won fewer games than Allen has with the Saints, and three of them have already been fired. Of those  remaining Allen is tied with embattled Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson at 18-20, trailing behind Todd Bowles (20-18 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Mike McDaniel (21-16 with the Miami Dolphins, pending their Monday night matchup with the Tennessee Titans), and Kevin O’Connell (24-14 with the Minnesota Vikings).

Loomis has stubbornly argued that Allen’s run with the Raiders a decade ago shouldn’t matter much in evaluating his performance today. And there’s some merit to that — the NFL is known for its “What have you done for me lately?” mindset. But you can’t ignore Allen’s career record. He’s coached 74 games and only won 27 of them.

Of the 177 head coaches who have worked at least 60 games in the NFL, Allen ranks 167th in career win percentage (.351). If you only want to look at those coaches with 70-plus games to evaluate, Allen ranks 150th out of 158.

And if, like Loomis, you’re an apologist who only wants Allen’s 38-game tenure with the Saints to be considered? Of the 250 coaches with at least 38 games to their name, his win percentage (.474) ranks 133rd. Is that really worth waiting on to see if he can turn the corner?

Allen’s defense is supposed to be his bread and butter. But they’ve given up seven yards per carry in back-to-back weeks while failing to pressure an immobile quarterback in Kirk Cousins or guard a late lead against the Falcons. And these have been problems for three years now, if not longer. Allen can coach a secondary but he can’t build a strong defensive line, and his team works with such a thin margin for error that every pass interference penalty, muffed punt, and ball batted up at the line of scrimmage matters.

So what’s to be done? Allen’s contract is up after the 2025 season. The Saints were hesitant to fire him after his 7-10 start because of the guarantees left on it (even though they pay exponentially more than that in dead money for players not on their roster every year), and he did make some incremental progress to finish 9-8 last season. But we’re in Year 3. Allen is struggling to stay over .500 and win as many games as he loses. He’s had every excuse made for him and the Saints have worked hard to get him his quarterback, his offensive coordinator, his position coaches and training staff, and he still can’t produce results. They’re in third place in the NFC South, the worst division in pro football, yet again.

There’s no reason Year 4 should be promised to him, but don’t be shocked if Allen finishes the season and is tasked with coaching for his job next season. Loomis is normally too aggressive for his own good. In this case, he might be too stubborn to admit he got this hire wrong and draw out the inevitable. If we’re wrong, and Allen does right the ship and figure out how to close tight games? Then we’ll praise him for it. But he hasn’t earned that confidence yet, and time to do so is rapidly running out.

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Saints share behind-the-scenes video of Drew Brees Hall of Fame announcement

The New Orleans Saints shared a behind-the-scenes video of Drew Brees’ team Hall of Fame announcement and his return to Airline Drive:

Now this is cool. The New Orleans Saints shared a must-see video going behind the scenes for Friday’s announcement that Drew Brees would be inducted to the Saints Hall of Fame.

Brees returned to the team practice facility with his family wearing a Team Gleason shirt, embracing owner Gayle Benson and catching up with old friends and coworkers — not just teammates like Cameron Jordan but the team equipment staff and those whose names are never heard on game days, but whose efforts keep the team moving forward. Brees also addressed the team’s current players after practice, at Dennis Allen’s invitation.

“Off the cuff here,” Brees chuckled. “He asked me what I miss the most about this game. I miss the locker room, I miss the fellas, I miss my teammates, but I miss the highest level of competition. … I wish nothing but the best for you and I’m always here as a resource for you. Once a Saint, always a Saint.”

It was an emotional day at Airline Drive. Brees spoke about the lack of closure he ended his career with during the COVID-19 pandemic and the health challenges that have trailed him into retirement, but he also took time to reflect on the decades of good memories and strong relationships he built during his time with the Saints. Getting this look at what he experienced walking the halls again, even if it’s only a glance, sure is special.

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Gayle Benson presents Pope Francis with personalized Saints jersey

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson presented Pope Francis with a personalized Saints jersey while visiting Rome:

There aren’t many New Orleans Saints jerseys to be found in Vatican City, and one of the few you’ll see there is personalized for the Pope himself. Saints owner Gayle Benson received a personal audience with Pope Francis this week, in which she gifted him a custom No. 1 jersey emblazoned with “Papa Francesco,” as seen a photo shared by WDSU’s Fletcher Mackel.

Mackel reports that this was just one stop on Benson’s 10-day trip in Europe. She also petitioned the Papal Foundation and other business and tourism groups for investments in New Orleans and renovations to the iconic St. Louis Cathedral. She’ll visit Italy and Germany as part of this tour before returning to Louisiana.

Benson has deep ties to the Catholic Church and the Archdiocese in New Orleans; it’s where she met her late husband Tom Benson, and she maintains a close friendship with Archbishop Gregory Aymond. But that relationship has drawn scrutiny between Benson donating tens of millions of dollars to the archdiocese and the involvement of Saints executives in assisting the church with damage control during its clergy abuse crisis.

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PFT: Saints feel too much blame is going on Dennis Allen and Derek Carr

PFT’s Mike Florio reports that Saints leadership feels too much blame is going on Dennis Allen and Derek Carr, the most important people in their organization:

The New Orleans Saints have been a tough team to watch this year. Another year of Dennis Allen at head coach with a $150 million quarterback next to him in Derek Carr has the team right back where they were at the end of last season: praying for help from other teams to get them to the playoffs.

Allen is knocking on the door of his first winning season in five years as a head coach, which wouldn’t be enough to get the team to the playoffs — where Derek Carr is still looking for his first career postseason win after a decade in the NFL. Changes may be on the way for the Saints if they can’t win the NFC South and get into the playoffs, but Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that Allen and Carr are here to stay.

Florio shares that Saints leadership (meaning some combination of general manager Mickey Loomis, team president Dennis Lauscha, and owner Gayle Benson) don’t view Allen as “part of the problem in New Orleans.” Nor his quarterback. Florio adds that, “The feeling is that too much blame is being placed on Allen and quarterback Derek Carr for the team’s struggles in 2023, and that Allen and Carr could be key components of a resurgence in 2024.”

That’s laughable, but the Saints have not conducted themselves like a serious franchise since Drew Brees and Sean Payton left them to fend for themselves. Allen and Carr are the most important people in the organization. Everything rides on the franchise quarterback taking up so many salary cap resources. All of the decisions are on Allen’s plate, whose defense has fallen into inconsistency when he hasn’t been able to manage it personally.

Giving them both a mulligan and hoping for “some cultural tweaks” as Florio mentions is, well, ridiculous. The Saints had built a winning culture that demanded accountability of its best players during their franchise-best run from 2017 to 2020. When Allen took over, they’ve fallen into the same losing culture he installed with the Raiders a decade ago that Carr perpetuated after he was let go. Whether Allen is feuding with big egos on the team or Carr is barking at his teammates and coaches, it hasn’t been pretty. But more of the same appears to be Loomis and Lauscha’s vision for this team in 2024.

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How long of a leash does Dennis Allen have with Saints ownership?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks the Saints don’t want to make a change at head coach after the season, but Dennis Allen’s poor performance is hard to ignore:

Who is going to be coaching the New Orleans Saints in 2024? Could Dennis Allen return after struggling to reach (much less hold on to) a winning record in either of his two years as their head coach?

That’s no sure thing, but some recent scuttlebutt suggests the Saints are at least hesitant to consider making a move from Allen just yet. The latest buzz comes from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who shared what he’s hearing in a back-and-forth with his colleague Dan Graziano:

“I don’t think the Saints want to make a change on Dennis Allen, but another losing season would mark two in a row, which wasn’t the norm in the Sean Payton era (though he did have a stretch of three consecutive 7-9 seasons from 2014 to ’16). It still needs to be seen how much grace New Orleans’ front office and ownership is willing to apply.”

Honestly, it’s odd that the situations would be compared; Payton earned his goodwill with a Super Bowl XLIV championship and a record-setting run with Drew Brees, helping the quarterback not just reinvent himself after a career-threatening injury but build a Hall of Fame resume.

Allen fixed Rob Ryan’s mess of a defense, which was no mean feat. Then he developed it into an elite unit. That was enough to give general manager Mickey Loomis and team president Dennis Lauscha the confidence to back Gayle Benson’s decision to hire him despite his historically poor run as a head coach a decade earlier with the Raiders. But when you look at the Saints’ fortunes since Allen was promoted to head coach, there’s little logic behind sticking with him.

An admittedly injury-ridden Saints team limped out of their Week 14 bye last year with a 4-9 record. They gave Allen free rein to recruit Derek Carr, investing $60 million guaranteed in a passer whose last team ditched him and whose free agency experience was lukewarm at best. What does Allen have to show for it a year later? The Saints are coming out of Week 14 with a 6-7 record. They’ve improved by just two wins.

There’s no valid reason to stick with Allen. His defense — his defense, the unit he’s drafted and developed and filled with veteran free agents — is eroding by the week. What was supposed to be the strength of the team has allowed the seventh-most rushing yards and tied for the third-fewest sacks in the NFL this season. They can’t stop the run or rush the passer. Allen’s offense still can’t score points between Carr panicking in the red zone and rookie kicker Blake Grupe shanking 29-yard field goals. Visiting fans are taking over the lower bowl in the Caesars Superdome, and Carr is being met with boos whenever he jogs off the field after another stalled-out drive. The team is in a bad place even after a lopsided (yet unconvincing) win over a division rival last Sunday.

So we’ve got two reasons for the Saints to keep Allen. In the first scenario, they’ll outlast their rivals in the NFC South and win the division to host a home playoff game (likely against a Super Bowl contender like the Dallas Cowboys), which likely won’t go well. It’ll also drop their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft away from the best prospects, which could be devastating when bad trades from Loomis cost them their second-, third- and fourth-round picks. But, Loomis can say, they did reach the postseason after falling short last year. And that’s tangible progress.

What if the Saints miss the playoffs and still keep Allen? That’s when the excuses might start rushing out: injuries to star players like Michael Thomas and Marshon Lattimore (just like last year) plus Carr, who is valiantly playing through a sprained throwing shoulder, three injured ribs and two concussions. That’s an easy way to wave off his poor performance this season.

The rebuttal to that is the Saints having the healthiest roster in the league through the first 10 weeks and still idling at 5-5 before the injuries hit. But if the team leadership group has seen Allen’s team get worse by the week and find new ways to lose football games into mid-December, odds are strong that Benson, Loomis and Lauscha aren’t going to acknowledge that criticism in January. It would take something drastic to convince them that hiring Allen and committing harder to his vision for the team was the wrong move.

Allen is two years into his four-year contract. Carr’s heaviest guarantees extend into 2024. Maybe the plan all along has been to give Allen those two years with his quarterback and see if he can make something happen before kickstarting a reboot in 2025 (maybe without Loomis, the longest-tenured general manager in the NFL) once the salary cap has skyrocketed to wipe out years of financial maneuvering and cost deferments. All fans can do is stand by, see how this all plays out, and hope the team gives them a product worth cheering for.

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Saints award Mickey Loomis a game ball for his 200th win as their general manager

The New Orleans Saints awarded Mickey Loomis a game ball for his 200th win as their general manager after taking down the Carolina Panthers:

The New Orleans Saints recognized Mickey Loomis for his 200th career win as their general manager on Sunday after taking down the Carolina Panthers, and it’s quite an achievement. Loomis is the longest-tenured general manager in the league (not counting owner-GM’s like Jerry Jones and head coach-GM’s such as Bill Belichick), and he’s joined rare company after seeing the team’s he’s built win 200 games.

Look at the names on the list of executives to see 200 wins: Tex Schramm, Bill Polian, Kevin Colbert, and Ozzie Newsome, plus Jones, Belichick, and Al Davis. That’s the kind of company Loomis keeps with his impressive longevity.

Saints owner Gayle Benson awarded Loomis a customized game ball for this achievement in the locker room after Sunday’s win.

“We’ve been waiting a little while to get this done,” said Saints head coach Dennis Allen in the locker room after the game, leading up to the presentation. The team first put out notice of Loomis closing in on this accomplishment after their Nov. 5 win over the Chicago Bears (his 199th victory), so they’ve presumably been waiting for a month during their three-game losing streak and bye week to put a pin in it.

So how much longer will Loomis lead the organization? Most executives retire or step into less-prominent roles at this stage in his career, but it’s anyone’s guess when Loomis will be ready to make a move. With promising GM candidates in the building like Khai Harley and Jeff Ireland, it feels like the Saints risk losing some talented people if this decision is put off for too long.

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