JACKSON: The Dennis Allen revenge game is finally here

By Ross Jackson

The Week 7 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears was one of the most highly-anticipated games on the Saints’ schedule. Not because the two clubs were expected to be juggernauts, not because the two have a long-list of bad blood, rivalry fueled matchups in their history, but instead because of the events of the last calendar year centered around Bears’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. 

Allen may lead the Bears defense now, but before that, he served as the head coach and long-time defensive playcaller for the Saints. 

He’s credited simultaneously for bringing a strong defensive reputation back to the Big Easy but also for derailing the team’s most successful era. 

Whether credit or criticism is fair or unfair won’t matter on Sunday. Emotions are likely to be high going into this one. Allen was the first head coach fired by the Saints in-season since Dick Nolan in 1980, over four decades prior. 

The coach that would ultimately replace Allen, Kellen Moore, will lead the Saints to the Windy City looking to directly attack Allen’s side of the ball. 

Certain players are likely to be motivated as well. Running back Kendre Miller wouldn’t be blamed for wanting to show Allen and his No. 31 ranked rushing defense what he missed in New Orleans after purportedly mishandling Miller’s injury management. 

Meanwhile, several returning defensive players wouldn’t be unwarranted in a desire to show that they can be effective factors outside of Allen’s scheme. The Saints’ 2024 defense had an undeniable drop-off from the first half of the year with Allen to the second half without him. 

With Allen, opposing quarterbacks threw 11 interceptions against the Saints defense through Week 9. After Allen was fired, following an embarrassing loss on the road to the Carolina Panthers, the Saints notched only a pair of interceptions and three takeaways in total from Weeks 10 through 18. The team’s defensive EPA also dropped from a positive 4.49 mark to a dreadful minus-23.73.

It will be a charged matchup, including a head-to-head bout between the former defensive leader and present offensive wunderkind, on Sunday. The only question remaining will be who gets the best of the revenge angle? Allen, who was cast off by New Orleans or the Saints, whose direction took a sharp downturn under the now defensive coordinator?