Dennis Allen Makes Embarrassing NFL History With His Firing Monday
11/04/2024 04:26 PM
Dennis Allen and Derek Carr may have experienced déjà vu on Monday.
The New Orleans Saints dropped their seventh straight game when falling 23-22 to the Carolina Panthers in Week 9. They responded by firing Allen the next day.
Ten years ago, Carr witnessed a mid-season coaching change when the Raiders fired Allen. That gives the duo an unprecedented connection in NFL history.
Via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Allen is the first head coach to get fired by two different teams with the same starting quarterback.
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Carr shouldn't take too much blame for Allen's first firing. The Raiders axed their coach just four games into the quarterback's rookie season. He threw four touchdowns and four interceptions in four losses.
History repeated itself 10 years later. Carr has his highest quarterback rating (99.2) since 2020, but the 33-year-old peaked in season-opening blowout wins over the Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.
Dubow also noted that the Saints are the seventh team in NFL history -- and the first since the 2015 Cowboys -- to lose seven straight games following a 2-0 start. That stretch drops Allen's career head coaching record to 26-53
Allen's .327 winning percentage represents the third-lowest mark among 149 head coaches to work at least 75 games.
The Saints made some more dubious history on Sunday. According to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, they became the first team in 20 years to lose despite running for at least 150 yards, outgaining their opponent by at least 150 total yards, and winning the turnover battle. The previous 275 teams to meet those qualifiers won.
Allen played a pivotal role in bringing Carr to New Orleans last year, but that doesn't mean his exit will spark a quarterback change. ESPN's Katherine Terrell and Jeremy Fowler speculated that the Saints will "likely" stick with Carr, who's under contract through 2025.
Related: Dennis Allen Has Classy Reaction To Getting Fired By The Saints
