Saints GM Mickey Loomis is backing Dennis Allen

Credit where it's due: Mickey Loomis joined the Saints Coaches Show on WWL Radio this week to ask a tough Q&A about the state of the New Orleans Saints. But that's all we can say about it. When it came to answering these difficult questions, the Saints general manager and top decision maker backed head coach Dennis Allen.

“Everything you said is true,” Loomis acknowledged after being asked about the team’s performance during a four-game losing streak. “Results are important. That's what they do. But I think one of the things that good organizations do is look beyond the results. What are the reasons for the result? How do you eliminate the things that are holding you back from winning?”

With all due respect, you play to win the game. It's ridiculous to throw away a terrible record to shift blame, but Loomis tried it anyway: “It's not always about the head coach. Sometimes it is like that. It involves many different variables. A lot of things come into play to win.”

Of course, everyone in their position should keep an overview. But at this point we know this story. At the end of Week 6, Allen has led the Saints to a 2-4 record twice, with a 3-3 high point in between. His defense has collapsed once again, and he'll have to make another midseason attempt to eliminate missed tackles and missed coverage calls. Again.

Look at the facts. Allen has led the Saints to an 18-22 record since his hiring. They are 2-9 against opponents with winning records. They are the only NFL team to outscore their opponents and have a losing record during that period. Of the 13 teams with a positive point differential since Allen was hired, only the Saints have failed to make the playoffs. They tried different quarterbacks, coordinators, position coaches and play callers, but Allen was the common factor. At some point, Loomis has to look critically at his performance. A more involved owner would also take a closer look at Loomis.

Loomis acknowledged that he may have to do that one day, but not yet: “So we'll look at that when the time comes. But the time is not right now. We still have a lot of games ahead of us.”