Undisciplined

David Rainey • October 3, 2022

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       Let me be as blunt as I possibly can.  Right now, the New Orleans Saints are a BAD football team.  Not an alright football team.  Not an average football team.  A straight up, bottom-tier football team.  To be honest, at first glance it doesn’t make sense.  This is and has been one of the most loaded rosters in the NFL for years.  Of course, the weakest position group on the team is the most important, quarterback. But all we need from the position is average quarterback play, and this roster should be able to win 8 or 9 games just based off talent. 


However, to this point, we’ve struggled to even get average quarterback play.  On top of that, we’ve dealt with injuries to key players like Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Marcus Maye, Paulson Adebo, Adrus Peat, and Jameis Winston.  While I think the struggles at quarterback and injuries have contributed to the 1-3 start, they aren’t the biggest issues, in my opinion.  What’s the biggest issue then?  Well, the Saints are a poorly coached football team.

You might place the blame on bad quarterback play or lack of pass rush or some other lacking area, but from my perspective, poor coaching in the biggest issue for this team.  From the head coach to the offensive coordinator, to special team’s coaches, we’ve seen a poorly coached team all around.  Week after week, we see the Saints shoot themselves in the foot with stupid penalties, untimely fumbles, or an awful mental lapse. It seems like every time we get momentum, we find a way to cause another self-inflicted wound. For example, we’re driving down the field against the Bucs and Mark Ingram fumbles in the red zone.  Or, how about the seemingly countless false starts to put ourselves in 2nd or 3rd and long situations?  Or, how about today against the Vikings when the defense makes a stop, but special teams allow the Vikings to convert a fake punt?  Again, just poor coaching all around.

The most concerning area to me are the penalties.  It’s hard to get the offense going, regardless of who is at quarterback, when you’re constantly playing behind the sticks.  You can’t get in a rhythm with your play calling when you’re consistently in those positions.  An undisciplined team is a direct result of a poorly run program by the head coach.  Why are the penalties the most concerning to me over all other areas? Because undisciplined teams are a pattern with Dennis Allen run football teams. 

As everyone knows, Dennis Allen had a previous head coaching stint with the Raiders from 2012-2014 that didn’t go so well.  As it stands right now, the Saints are the 2nd most penalized team on a per game basis with 8 per game through 4 weeks.  What is concerning to me, is that I don’t know that the issue will ever get fixed under Dennis Allen, because teams under his leadership have always been undisciplined.

In 2012, the Raiders were the 6th most penalized team with 6.8 penalties per game.  2013 was even worse with the Raiders ending the season as the 4th most penalized team with 7.3 penalties per game.  They again had 7.3 penalties per game in Dennis Allen’s final season as head coach in 2014 and finished as the 9thmost penalized team.  So, when we look at those numbers, it’s reasonable to be concerned that we won’t see improvement this year or maybe even any year in the future. 

I want to be clear; I’m not calling for Dennis Allen to be fired already or anything like that.  However, if he can’t run a disciplined program in his second attempt as a head coach, then he shouldn’t be a head coach for long.  And, if he doesn’t get this team to stop hurting themselves immediately, the season will be over quickly. 

I’m not completely giving up hope on the season yet, because as I mentioned earlier, this roster is incredibly talented.  They very well could turn things around and go on a run.  Dennis Allen has at least kept his defense on par with previous seasons, and we at least saw improvements from the pass rush and the offense today.  So, maybe there’s still some reason for hope.  But Dennis Allen and the rest of his staff need to get it together quickly, because they are running out time.

*All stats courtesy of teamrankings.com*



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Saints Postgame: Falcons Ruin The Domecoming

By Kaden Arkeder • October 6, 2026
 Saints did not show up ready to play. I believe we’ve heard that plenty of times in the Kellen Moore era. But here we are, saying it once again after a game that meant a whole lot to this city and a game the Saints needed to win to avoid a 1-3 start to their season. Unfortunately the organization from the top down played a part in this embarrassing showing. The defense, down a couple starters, played like a unit that did not want to be out on the field at times during the game. Injuries alone are not an excuse for a showing like the one the Saints defense just gave. The defense couldn’t do anything right, they couldn’t stop the run or pass all night as the Falcons just had their way all game long. Brandon Staley has been emphasizing a bend don’t break defense with this unit in his tenure but tonight the defense was completely shattered. On offense it was the same old story. Another slow start forcing the team to play from behind yet again and scoring some points late to make it seem more respectable than the game really was. The Saints cannot figure out the run game and continue to put the whole offense on Shough’s shoulders and to his credit is showing he can be a good quarterback in this league. The offensive line is a big issue and with all the investment put into the line, the production has been inexcusable. Shough took some big hits this game and will continue to do so if the Saints don’t get this operation right soon. We’ll see if the coaches can make it happen because thus far they have not been able to. Ultimately when you lose a game the way the Saints did tonight everyone in the organization from the top down played a part in this one. We’re watching a team that does not have the talent or depth to consistently make enough plays to win. Nor have they shown to have a coaching staff to make up for the roster’s shortcomings. A quarter of the way through the season and the Saints are 1-3 and looking like the expectations placed on them this offseason have been too much too soon. They’ve got time to flip the script as there is plenty of season left to be played but they need to do it fast or otherwise suffer the consequences.

Saints Pregame: Domecoming vs Falcons

By Matt Miguez • October 5, 2026
Twenty years ago, the city of New Orleans was forever changed. The "Rebirth" game when the Superdome reopened after Hurricane Katrina was more than a football game already. However, when Steve Gleason blocked the first punt of the game and it was returned for a touchdown, everyone in the building knew it was over.
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