The status of Dennis Allen as head coach of the New Orleans Saints is safe, but the same cannot be said about selected assistants on Allen's staff.

With the Saints looking to make some changes after a disappointing season, coaches on the defensive side under Dennis Allen are the ones on the chopping block, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

What sticks out about these moves is the side of the ball they're occurring on. One can understand why co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen would go to the Atlanta Falcons and become their DC, but letting Kris Richard go seems odd. The Saints were ninth in the NFL in points per game allowed, and fifth in yards given up. If anything, the defense should be the side that sees the least amount of change.

The offense on the other hand, that's probably where those major changes should happen. They were 22nd in points scored per game, and 18th in yards. In the 17 games played, New Orleans scored 30 points or more in only two of the contests.

The combination resulted in a record of 7-10, and the second straight season the Saints missed the playoffs.

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JC Latham (Alabama), Chris Braswell (Alabama not Jaguars), Cornelieus Johnson (Michigan) in action behind a New Orleans Saints logo with a 2024 NFL Draft background.

Dylan Bruton ·

Seeing how Allen was the defensive coordinator under Sean Payton before taking over as head coach, one might think he's the one who will come back to play-calling duties on that side of the ball. That might not be the worst move, but that doesn't fix an anemic offense.

It'll be interesting to see if more changes happen in the Big Easy. With no playoff action in two years, the fans might welcome them.