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The New Orleans Saints have parted ways with defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Dennis Allen will be the next man in line to lead the 32nd ranked defense in the NFL. With these changes, what will happen to the defense in terms of performance? Is it reasonable to believe that the defense will show marked improvement with such a small window for change?
The truth is, most Saints fans don't care, everyone is ready to turn the page and move forward. Looking back, Ryan was brought in prior to the 2013 season and yielded immediate results. Then 2014 happened and Ryan's seat became gun barrel hot after the top 5 defense reverted to its old ways and finished last in the league. Compounding the situation has been a horrendous start to 2015 and management has seen enough.
Sean Payton Says Saints Have Fired Rob Ryan
The Rob Ryan era is over and the Dennis Allen era begins...
Now Allen will take over and attempt to produce change and improvement over the course of the next seven weeks. During his first stint withe Saints, Allen was assistant for some decent defenses with a resume that highlights his work with secondary players. It just so happens the Saints secondary is a major sore spot right now, so with full control, it's possible Allen will at least fix one area day one. He has two weeks to install a system that works with the players he has available and then six games to develop a foundation to build upon for 2016.
Even with six losses, the Saints are not yet out of the playoff hunt. Even the slightest of improvements on defense could propel the Saints into a legitimate Wild Card team. A start in the process might be to sit cornerback Brandon Browner and rely on the young CBs to make a positive impact. Relieving some other coaches of their duties might also turn things around, but there has been no word on this being on the table yet.
My question here is: Does Allen get a six game audition for the DC job for 2016? Or is he already assured the job for next year and just needs to finish out the season by gaining a small amount of respect for the defensive unit?
Let us know what you think! Fill in or full on?