The New Orleans Saints have parted ways with head coach Dennis Allen following a 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers, marking their seventh consecutive defeat—their longest losing streak since 1999. Allen, who has been with the organization since 2006, took over coaching duties in 2022, replacing Sean Payton. Despite leading a strong defense in prior years, his tenure as head coach saw the team struggle on offense and miss the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
Mickey Loomis, Saints general manager, praised Allen as "an excellent football coach" who tirelessly fought for the team. "This season, we've had an avalanche of injuries. It took its toll. DA has never offered excused." Darren Rizzi will assume the role of interim head coach for the remaining eight games of the season. The Saints have faced significant challenges with injuries, impacting key players such as quarterback Derek Carr, receiver Chris Olave, and center Erik McCoy. This series of setbacks has taken a toll on the team's performance, leading to New Orleans' dip to 16th in offensive yards per game and 28th in defense in the NFL.
Gayle Benson, owner of the Saints, expressed the difficulty of this decision, stating, "Dennis has been a part of our organization for many years. All of this makes today very tough for me and our organization. However, this decision is something that I felt we needed to make at this time." (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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