Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi was named the Saints' interim head coach and he's not happy with his team's effort during a seven-game losing streak.
The New Orleans Saints entered Week 9 in desperate need of a win. The good news is, they were playing the Carolina Panthers, who entered the week 1-7 and seriously banged up. The bad news is, New Orleans could’t take advantage, losing 23-22 and dropping their seventh consecutive game. Following the loss, the Saints fired Dennis Allen, elevating special team coordinator Darren Rizzi to interim head coach.
Once Rizzi took the reins, he wasted little time setting the tone for his tenure. “[The players] should be pissed off. I’m pissed off. The fans should be pissed off,” Rizzi acknowledged per Saints insider Nick Underhill on X.
While New Orleans has endured a number of injuries this season, Rizzi immediately shot that down as an excuse for the team’s poor play and miserable record. “We have to execute better,” he said, via Underhill.
Whether or not it’s a valid excuse, injuries have plagued New Orleans this season. However, Saints’ starting quarterback Derek Carr returned from a lengthy absence in Week 9. Carr replaced ineffective rookie passer Spencer Rattler under center but the results were the same. New Orleans lost its seventh straight game and the team has now lost each of the last four starts Carr has made.
Interim head coach Darren Rizzi will attempt to turn things around for the Saints
The Saints have been hit particularly hard by injuries on offense. Rashid Shaheed suffered a knee ailment in Week 6, ending a promising season for the third-year wideout. New Orleans’ top receiver Chris Olave also exited the team’s Week 6 contest. He was diagnosed with a concussion that kept him out of action the following week as well.
Heading into Week 9 the Saints were healthier. Carr, Olave and Taysom Hill were all able to suit up for the divisional clash with the Carolina Panthers. However, Olave suffered another concussion in Week 9 and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Olave was released from the hospital but two concussions in four weeks is a frightening situation.
The Panthers were also dealing with a number of injuries on offense and the team gave Bryce Young another start at quarterback. Carolina benched Young after Week 2 giving the job to Andy Dalton but the veteran passer sprained his thumb, which forced the Panthers to turn back to the second-year signal caller.
Ultimately, the Saints badly needed to win on Sunday. Failing to dominate a banged up Panthers team with one win in eight weeks is embarrassing. So embarrassing that the team made the decision to move on from Allen.
After a promising 2-0 start to the season that nearly made NFL history, the Saints have been dreadful. New Orleans’ seven-game losing streak has dropped the team to last place in the NFC South and all but eliminated any hope of reaching the playoffs.
