Tag: Pete Carmichael

Dennis Allen ranked worst among NFL’s returning head coaches

This isn’t a glowing endorsement for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was ranked worst among the NFL’s returning coaches by NBC Sports:

This isn’t a glowing endorsement for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was graded worst among his peers by NBC Sports analyst Patrick Daugherty, clocking in at the bottom of the offseason coach rankings — at least among returning head coaches. The eight first-year coaches were also ranked beneath Allen, but that’s because they’re all relatively unknown quantities.

Unfortunately for Allen, we know exactly what he is and where his shortcomings lie. We’ll let Daugherty explain why Allen was ranked at No. 24 among the 24 head coaches returning from 2023:

“We lost a lot of bad coaches last winter. Arthur Smith, Brandon Staley, Josh McDaniels and Ron Rivera send their regards. That means we are left with the merely mediocre to round out our list. No one is more committed to the bit than Dennis Allen. A defensive coordinator trapped in a head coach’s body, Allen has treated Sean Payton’s leftover offense like a museum heirloom that disintegrates if you touch it. This is an attack that hasn’t innovated in three years, right down to banging Alvin Kamara between the tackles for no reason and rushing Taysom Hill onto the field any time there’s a critical down. Well, it’s not entirely true there’s been no innovation. Allen has decided to find out just how boring Drew Brees-style quarterbacking can become. Andy Dalton pushed the envelope in 2022. Derek Carr reached new heights in 2023. Allen, who admittedly takes care of business on defense, has finally moved on from Payton Ball on offense but replaced it with … Kubiak Ball. Not Gary, but Klint. It’s a fine system in a vacuum. It’s also become mummified under Klint, with no new wrinkles inserted since the Peyton Manning days in Denver. Maybe 2023 49ers passing-game coordinator Klint learned something under coach Kyle Shanahan. That’s what the Saints’ season and Allen’s future employment hinges on: This old Kubiak dog picking up some new Shanahan tricks. I suppose there are worse plans, but I’m not seeing many for 2024.”

That uncalled-for shot at Taysom Hill aside — the Saints have used him on critical downs because he’s more reliable than anyone else, being one of 11 players in the NFL with a positive success rate as both a runner and receiver on 100-plus touches — this is a good assessment of the trouble the Saints have found themselves in.

Allen was either unable or unwilling to replace Pete Carmichael when it was clear he couldn’t call a functional offense in 2022, and he bet big on Derek Carr covering up Carmichael’s shortcomings in 2023. That’s a bet he lost, which is why the offensive coaching staff was overhauled from the top down.

Now Allen is gambling again, hoping that Kubiak will run an offense styled more strongly after Shanahan’s example than what we’ve seen when Kubiak called plays in the past. With the odds stacked against him, he has to be hoping for this plan to pay off.

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Saints sign a new fullback, but he isn’t new to their coaching staff

The Saints signed a new fullback, but he isn’t new to their coaching staff. Meet Zander Horvath:

The New Orleans Saints signed a new fullback, but he isn’t new to their coaching staff. Meet Zander Horvath, formerly of Purdue, whose addition was announced on Thursday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire.

Horvath, 25, played college football at Purdue before turning pro with the Los Angeles Chargers, who picked him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. He measured out exceptionally well in the pre-draft process with a 9.83 Relative Athletic Score (a metric which often lines up with attributes the Saints value). He weighed in at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds but has been listed at 232 and 235 with different teams.

Former Chargers running backs coach Derrick Foster worked with him closely in L.A., so there’s an obvious connection with Foster holding the same position on staff these days in New Orleans. Horvath was waived during roster cuts last August and briefly landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Chargers brought him back to their practice squad to close out the season. He wasn’t re-signed after that.

He wasn’t the only player the Saints tried out on Thursday; the wire also reports 232-pound running back Qadree Ollison as a participant. He’s a former Atlanta Falcons draft pick (fifth round in 2019) who was teammates with Horvath on the Steelers for a few months last season. The Saints must have liked what they saw from Horvath better.

This might mean the end of the road for Adam Prentice. The incumbent Saints fullback is a restricted free agent but he’s coming off a down year with dropped passes, blown blocking assignments, and a very unfortunate fumble. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is going to be asking different things of his fullback than Pete Carmichael asked of Prentice last season, so they might look for someone else to push Horvath for the job in training camp.

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Broncos announce Sean Payton’s two additions to coaching staff

The Broncos have hired Pete Carmichael (senior offensive assistant) and Jim Leonhard (defensive pass game coordinator/DBs coach).

The Denver Broncos confirmed two expected hires on Wednesday.

First, the Broncos brought in Pete Carmichael as a senior offensive assistant, a move that was previously reported. After that, the team added Jim Leonhard as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach, another previously reported hire.

Carmichael, 52, worked with Denver head coach Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2021. He served as the team’s offensive coordinator from 2009 through last season before being fired.

Leonhard, 41, played safety for 10 seasons in the NFL, including one year with the Broncos (2012) and one summer with Payton’s Saints (2013). He will replace Christian Parker as the team’s new DBs coach. Landing him as a position coach is a big hire for Denver.

Leonhard previously served as a defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, his alma mater, from 2017-2021 before being promoted to interim head coach in 2022. Leonhard then left the Badgers and spent one season as a senior football analyst with Illinois in 2023.

The Green Bay Packers offered Leonhard their defensive coordinator job in 2021 but he turned them down. Leonhard also interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator opening in 2023. Leonhard will likely land a DC job at some point down the road. For now, the Broncos will have him coaching their defensive backs.

Those are two good hires for Payton’s staff.

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Saints expected to finalize hires of Klint Kubiak, several assistants after Super Bowl LVIII

NFL Network reports what we’ve been expecting: the Saints plan to finalize their hires of Klint Kubiak and several assistant coaches after Super Bowl LVIII:

Here’s more support for what we’ve been expecting: NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the New Orleans Saints plan to formalize their hire of Klint Kubiak and introduce him as their new offensive coordinator after Super Bowl LVIII, an expectation which has already been reported. Kubiak is the San Francisco 49ers pass game specialist and has previously called plays for the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. Out goes Pete Carmichael and in steps Klint Kubiak.

That’s not all. Pelissero confirms that two coaches are expected to join Kubiak’s staff after previously being targeted by the Saints. John Benton only worked with Kubiak briefly while coaching the Houston Texans offensive line under Gary Kubiak, his father, but he brings a wealth of experience after spending decades in the NFL, and he’s expected to replace Doug Marrone as the Saints’ offensive line coach.

Additionally, and as previously reported, ex-Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko is expected to join the Saints in the same capacity. He held that position under Kubiak on the Vikings back in 2021 and will be replacing Ronald Curry.

While Kubiak is retaining Saints tight ends coach Clancy Barone (who he has worked with before) and a few assistant coaches, it’s going to be an entirely new offensive system for New Orleans derived from the Shanahan-Kubiak coaching tree. It’s unclear who will take over as the Saints’ new wide receivers and running backs coaches (and who else may be in the mix for other positions), so stay tuned.

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Chris Olave reflects on playing with Derek Carr, moving on from Pete Carmichael

Saints star wideout Chris Olave reflects on his experience playing with Derek Carr, moving on from longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael:

It wasn’t pretty at times as Derek Carr worked to get in sync with his young wide receiver Chris Olave, but the playmaker made some big strides as the 2023 season wore on. Olave improved on all of his numbers from his 2022 rookie year, catching more passes at a higher rate and picking up more first downs while putting more points on the board.

So how does Olave feel about catching passes from Carr again in 2024? An expected contract restructure will tie Carr to the team (and Olave, critically) for at least the next two seasons.

“Oh yeah he’s a veteran, man,” Olave told the CHGO Sports podcast. “He’s 10 years in the league, he’s played real good ball with the Raiders. First year with the Saints offense, we’ve just got to build. It’s just about chemistry.”

Of course that’s just one part of the equation. Few positions are as reliant on others to find success as wide receivers. They need a talented quarterback to throw the ball their way and a skilled play caller to put them in a position to win.

To that end, he’s grateful for what he learned from Pete Carmichael through his first two years in the NFL. But Olave can’t help but be excited about what’s ahead of him, telling Bleacher Report’s Scott Polacek: “We had really good relationships with the offensive coaches my past two years, but I wish (Carmichael) the best moving forward. Having someone new come in means there’s going to be a new scheme and new offense, so I’m excited to learn the playbook here and keep moving forward.”

San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak will be coming to New Orleans as their new offensive coordinator after Super Bowl LVIII; he can’t formally accept the job and sign a contract until after the title game, but the Saints have already begun pursuing candidates to fill out his staff. And Kubiak’s experience in the high-flying 49ers offense could be tremendous for Olave. More reps with Carr and a more-creative play caller should help him take the next step and, hopefully, earn his place among the league’s best receivers.

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Pete Carmichael was one of the NFL’s worst offensive play callers, says analyst

The bar isn’t very high for Klint Kubiak. He’s replacing Pete Carmichael, who this analyst says was one of the NFL’s worst offensive play callers in 2023:

Three of the NFL’s four worst play callers worked in the NFC South last year, according to research from pro football analyst Steven Patton. That includes former New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, who was dismissed after the season. He’s expected to be replaced by San Francisco 49eres passing game specialist Klint Kubiak, who is unallowed to sign a contract until after Super Bowl LVIII.

Patton’s methodology considered “personnel and market efficiency with team constraints” which reflects performance relative to other teams facing the same opponents and key players missing due to injury or suspension. And Carmichael ended the 2023 season with the third-worst rating; only ex-Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown (hired by the Chicago Bears for 2024) and recently-fired Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith (picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers) ranked lower.

Carmichael struggled to adapt the Sean Payton offense to modern times. He was too slow to add motion to the offense and took too long to emphasize the play action passes that Derek Carr thrived with throughout his Raiders career. The Saints were too predictable in their personnel, often keying in opposing defenses to whether the play was a run or pass by relying too hard on blocking specialists at wide receiver. A bigger problem than that was predictability in their formations; New Orleans only rarely threw out of running looks and vice versa, giving Alvin Kamara too few light boxes to run against.

Hopefully Kubiak can liven things up in 2024. The Saints are betting that he learned a lot from his year in San Francisco working under Kyle Shanahan (who, Patton says, was the league’s fourth-best play caller on offense) and his previous experience calling plays for the Minnesota Vikings (in 2021) and Denver Broncos (during six games in 2022). And the good news is the bar isn’t too high in New Orleans. If Kubiak can stay about the bottom-tier he’ll be an improvement over past results. Obviously the Saints are betting he’ll do much better than that.

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Quick Saints takeaways from Jeff Ireland’s Senior Bowl interview

Quick Saints takeaways on Trevor Penning, the 2023 draft class, Tulane QB Michael Pratt, and more Broncos departures from Jeff Ireland’s Senior Bowl interview:

There are few events more important to the New Orleans Saints’ pre-draft process than the annual Senior Bowl, where coaches and scouts get an opportunity to meet with dozens of draft prospects and see them go through their paces at three days of practices.

Local media caught up with Saints assistant general manager and vice president of college personnel Jeff Ireland this week, who shared his take on a number of topics including players already on the roster and those he’s looking to add. You can find his full media availability session here, but we highlighted some key takeaways:

Sean Payton adding ex-Saints OC Pete Carmichael to Broncos’ staff

Former Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is reuniting with Sean Payton as a new member of the Broncos’ coaching staff.

Sean Payton continues to hire former New Orleans Saints with the Denver Broncos.

One day after news broke that the Broncos poached assistant college scouting director Cody Rager from the Saints, Payton is now hiring New Orleans’ former offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, according to The Times-Picayune‘s Jeff Duncan. Carmichael is expected to get a senior assistant title in Denver.

Carmichael, 52, coached with Payton from 2006-2021, working his way up from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator. They won Super Bowl XLIV together in 2019.

The Broncos’ current offensive coordinator is Joe Lombardi, who also worked under Payton with the Saints.

Carmichael was fired by New Orleans following the 2023 season. He will now reunite with Payton a host of former Saints in Denver including Lombardi, Zach Strief, Mike Westhoff, Chris Banjo and Dan Dalrymple, among others. It’s unclear if Westhoff, 76, will return in 2024. Payton convinced him to come out of retirement last year to serve as an assistant head coach.

At the time of publication, the Broncos have not fired any members of their 2023 coaching staff. Carmichael is the first addition.

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All 20 of the former Saints coaches and players joining Sean Payton’s Broncos

All 20 of the former New Orleans Saints coaches and players joining Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos, from Joe Vitt to Wil Lutz:

Sean Payton brought a lot of people with him to the Denver Broncos when he left the New Orleans Saints — and he may not be finished yet. Payton has brought on former Saints assistant coaches like Joe Vitt, Mike Westhoff, and Zach Strief as well as players including Adam Trautman and Wil Lutz. Now he’s making moves in the front office. And recently-fired Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is expected to reunite Payton in an undetermined role, too.

It’s an expansive list. Here’s everyone in Denver we could track down who previously worked for Payton in New Orleans:

Pete Carmichael joining Sean Payton’s Broncos coaching staff

That didn’t take long. Ex-Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is joining Sean Payton’s Broncos coaching staff:

That didn’t take long. Jeff Duncan reports for the Times-Picayune | Advocate that ex-New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is joining Sean Payton’s coaching staff on the Denver Broncos, though his exact role is unknown; expect Carmichael to carry some sort of senior assistant title and get back to what he did best in New Orleans while drawing up plays behind the scenes.

Carmichael was let go after an 18-year run with the Saints, having spent most of that time as Payton’s offensive coordinator. He only rarely called plays and struggled in that role the last two years after Payton left the team. Now he’s going to Denver for a reunion with Payton and former coworkers including Zach Strief, Mike Westhoff, Joe Vitt, John Morton, and Joe Lombardi, among others.

It’s hardly surprising that Carmichael is teaming up with Payton. They’ve worked well together before. They’re also facing a tough task in getting the Broncos offense up to snuff, with or without Russell Wilson at quarterback. Odds are Carmichael won’t be the last former Saints coach or player to go out West and reunite with Payton. The Broncos are scheduled to play a road game in New Orleans in 2024, so stay tuned for that dramatic matchup at the Caesars Superdome.

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