Facing with the possibility of missing the playoffs for the second time in as many seasons as head coach, Dennis Allen’s status with the New Orleans Saints appears to be safe right now.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, all signs are pointing toward Allen being safe but that could change based on the results from Sunday’s games when the “organization’s decision-makers will sit down to mull how they can get this team to where they believe it belongs” if they don’t win the NFC South.
Per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Saints coaching staff has been operating over the last few weeks as if Allen is going to return next season.
The Saints can win the division if they defeat the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers either lose or tie against the Carolina Panthers.
If the Saints don’t make the playoffs, it will mark their first time missing out in three consecutive years since 2014 to ’16. That was one of only two times during Sean Payton’s tenure they weren’t in the postseason in consecutive years (2007 and 2008).
After Payton retired as Saints head coach following the 2021 season, Allen was named his replacement. The 51-year-old had a long history with the organization prior to taking over as head coach.
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Allen was on Payton’s original Saints’ coaching staff in 2006 as an assistant defensive line coach. He remained with the team for five seasons before leaving to become Denver Broncos defensive coordinator in 2011.
The Oakland Raiders hired Allen as their head coach in 2012. He was with the team for two full seasons, but was fired four games into his third season after going 8-28.
Payton brought Allen back as a senior defensive assistant in 2015 before bumping him up to defensive coordinator the following year.
New Orleans has a 15-18 record under Allen. A victory on Sunday would give the team a winning record this season, but it will be the third consecutive year it has won fewer than 10 games after four straight seasons with at least 11 wins from 2017 to ’20.
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