It’s all one step forward and two steps back with this New Orleans Saints team. Dennis Allen and Pete Carmichael Jr.’s poor decision-making set the stage for a fourth-quarter meltdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, losing 17-16 at Raymond James Stadium. They’re going into the Week 14 bye with a 4-9 record and just a 0.7% chance of reaching the playoffs, per FiveThirtyEight.
This is all the impetus the Saints should need to admit their screwup and move on from Allen and his top decision-makers, starting with Carmichael. The call to kick field goals from distances of 21, 29, and 38 yards while punting 3 times from inside Buccaneers territory was brutal, but it’s part of a trend — Allen has coached scared in high-leverage fourth down situations all year. Sure, it’s because he doesn’t trust his quarterbacks, but it’s also because that’s who he is.
