Dennis Allen wouldn't share the conversations he had with Sean Payton leading up to the Saints' shutout of the heavily favored Bucs in Week 15, but he knew exactly where to place the credit for the result.
It went to everyone involved, all of whom were set up for success by the head coach, even if he was stuck at home following a positive COVID test late in the week.
“As it is all the time in this league, it’s a total team effort and I thought our guys did a hell of a job of coming together," Allen said. "I thought our coaching staff did a great job of understanding what we had to do to be able to win this game."
And fittingly for a group suddenly led by the defensive coordinator, it was the defense that lit the fire that never went out on the way to a 9-0 win and the first shutout of a Tom Brady-led offense since 2006. Once it became clear just how well the defense was playing on Sunday Night Football, the biggest goal of the offense turned to playing smart and avoiding turnovers.
The team did just that, even if it came at the expense of stats. The Saints didn't log a first down in the third quarter. It was such a dominant defensive effort that a plodding drive for a field goal and a two-score lead felt very much like a putaway moment.
“It just was a total, collective team effort. And look, that comes from the way that our head coach has prepared us and he does a great job of leading us and so we knew exactly what was expected of us, coaches, players, everybody," Allen said. "And we just went out and did our job just like we would have if he was standing on the sideline.”
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Allen, who had previously spent time as a head coach for the then-Oakland Raiders before returning to the Saints, "relished" the chance to be the top dog on the sidelines again. Payton shared his plans for how the team should operate, but otherwise it was Allen's show on gameday, and it went as well as it could've been hoped to go. The defense forced a fumble and an interception, and stifled the NFL's most potent offense that was admittedly missing key playmakers. Antonio Brown remains suspended, star receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans went out with injuries in the first half, and Leonard Fournette went out with an injury in the second half.
"I really appreciate everything that Sean Payton’s meant to me in my coaching career. And so for him to ask me to step in for him in this circumstance, I appreciate that he had the faith and the trust in me to lead this team. I really appreciate all the players and the assistant coaches and the way that they just hung together and fought and scratched and clawed for each other so that we could come away with this win," Allen said. "I think any time you win in this league I think it’s a great feeling and certainly in these circumstances it feels good to win."
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ON MARQUEZ CALLAWAY'S BIG NIGHT
The Saints haven't seen much production from wide receivers this season, but it's most consistent weapon has been Marquez Callaway, and the second-year player stepped up early and often.
Callaway finished the game with 112 yards on six catches, none more important than the two deep balls that set up a pair of field goals in the first half. It was the first 100-yard receiving performance for a Saints WR in the 2021 season.
“I think that was huge. To be able to get a couple of explosive plays early in the game to get us in a position to score some points," Allen said. Obviously we would’ve liked to have come away with touchdowns and not field goals in those situations, but we were able to come away with points. The way this game ended up playing out, it was more about protecting the football and playing the field position game, because we felt pretty good about where we were defensively.”
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ON A REFRESHED CAM JORDAN'S IMPACT
Cam Jordan returned in Week 15 following the first missed game of his NFL career, and he wasted no time making his presence felt. He logged a pair of sacks for the 100th of his career, and forced a key fumble of Tom Brady as the Bucs drove downfield on their most productive possession of the day.
“Yea, he looked good. We’ve been saying for a while that we’ve got to limit some of those snaps for Cam," Allen said. "He kind of took care of that for us. He looked fresh out there and did a really nice job.”
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“Sacks are hard to come by. Certainly Cam’s been one of the better ones in our league for a long time and being able to get pressure on the quarterback. I just can’t say enough about what he means to our team, the defense, the team in general, the organization. … Class guy, I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve had an opportunity to be around him and coach him. He’s just a hell of a player.”
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ON MARCUS DAVENPORT'S IMPACT
“I think Marcus has probably been one of our, if not the most disruptive defensive player that we’ve had when he’s been healthy and when he’s been out there. It means a lot to have him out there. I think the other players around him benefit from having his athleticism and his ability to disrupt the offense out there with him."