NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Saints coach Dennis Allen expects to keep his job after New Orleans improved by two victories, finished with a winning record and missed the playoffs by the narrowest of margins.
He is not, however, looking for pats on the back after his second season as the successor to Sean Payton wound up being New Orleans’ third straight season missing the playoffs.
“I was proud of the way our guys continued to fight. I was proud of the way we finished the season,” Allen said Monday, but added, “When you look at where we’ve been the last three years — 9-8, 7-10 and 9-8 — it’s not good enough.
“Everyone in the building is part of the culpability of that,” Allen continued. “So, we have to look at what do we need to change.”
The Saints were a model of inconsistency.
After starting 2-0, they sputtered, losing seven of 10 games — a stint during which quarterback Derek Carr, the team’s marquee offseason acquisition, got beat up and booed. But the Saints rebounded to win four of their final five games, capped by a 48-17 victory over rival Atlanta on Sunday.
The Saints finished with the same record as two playoff teams: Tampa Bay and Green Bay. By virtue of tiebreakers, the Buccaneers won the NFC South, and the Packers took the last NFC wild-card spot.
Only one of the Saints’ losses this season came by more than nine points and six came by eight or fewer.
“It comes down to about one play” in many of the losses, veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “We have to find a way to overcome that one play.”
Jordan said such losses come down more to players’ execution in critical situations than coaching, adding that the players “have to be the reason we’re winning.”
Tight end Foster Moreau said the Saints were “plenty talented, plenty disciplined” and “well-coached,” but were lacking a ”winning culture” that they’ll need to start cultivating through this offseason.
“We should win a lot more games,” Moreau said. “But a play here, a play there, a lack of judgment or a missed opportunity, those things prevail and you’re 9-8, which is smack-dab average.”
CARR’S FINISH
During New Orleans’ final five games, Carr completed 74% of his passes and threw for 14 TDs with just two interceptions as his chemistry improved with young receivers Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and A.T. Perry.
That’s the type of productivity the Saints had in mind when they signed the former Raiders QB to a four-year, $150 million contract.
Allen, who pushed hard to acquire Carr, said he did not believe the midseason criticism of his quarterback from fans and analysts was particularly fair.
“He’s one element of 11 guys who are out there on the field,” Allen said. “Derek Carr played well this year and I thought in particular over the stretch run, when we had to have it to give ourselves a chance, I thought he played some of his best football. So, I’m excited about Derek being our quarterback for sure.”
INJURY ISSUES
New Orleans’ strong closing stretch came while several key players were either sidelined or limited by injuries.
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore (ankle) and starting receiver Michael Thomas (knee) both missed the final seven games.
Running back Alvin Kamara (ankle) missed the second half of New Orleans’ 23-13 victory at Tampa Bay and all of the season-ending win over Atlanta.
Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) missed the last four games. Jordan remained in the lineup, but was limited by ankle and neck injuries during the final seven games and finished with two sacks, his fewest since his rookie season in 2011.
POINT DIFFERENTIAL
The Saints’ 23.6 points per game ranked ninth in the NFL. Their 19.2 points per game allowed ranked eighth.
New Orleans was plus-75 in point differential. That ranked seventh in the NFL — better than seven playoff teams and by far better than the next best non-playoff team, which was Jacksonville at plus-6.
Ranking so high in that area, yet losing eight games and missing the playoffs, “would tell me that there’s ability there, but it would say it wasn’t as consistent as it needed to be,” Allen said.
NEXT STEPS
If general manager Mickey Loomis keeps Allen, as expected, the pair likely will have decisions to make about the staff as well as the roster.
Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr., a former Payton understudy, finally got the offense rolling, but only after the team struggled to start fast or convert in the red zone through the first dozen games of the season.
It was Carmichael’s second season in that role, but first with Carr.
Allen also expressed concerns with the Saints’ running game and run defense, as well as his defense’s periodic vulnerability to explosive plays.
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