Saints head coach Dennis Allen talks about the team's loss to the Falcons and what went wrong.
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00:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
00:04 >> All right guys, look, obviously disappointed in the loss.
00:08 I thought we had our opportunities.
00:09 I think this game really boiled down to our ability down there in the red area.
00:15 Two penalties, two turnovers, one win for pick six.
00:21 And then obviously defensively our inability to stop the run.
00:26 And that's really what the game boiled down to.
00:29 That's what the game was all about.
00:30 So I'll take your questions.
00:32 >> It seems like the red area has been an issue pretty consistently throughout
00:35 the year.
00:36 Is there a commonality that you guys have detected after 11 games?
00:40 >> Well, yeah, I mean, I think one of the things is when you get down there and
00:44 then all of a sudden you go from first and ten, a positive gain.
00:48 And now it's first and 20, that puts you behind the sticks and
00:52 makes it more challenging.
00:53 So I think that's one area that has been a problem is
00:59 the penalties, which, I mean, it's first and 20.
01:04 So I thought that was a big factor today,
01:09 cuz on a couple of those plays, I thought we were gonna be in a pretty good
01:14 field position and pretty good down and distant situation.
01:18 So I mean, penalties are probably a big factor.
01:21 >> Dennis, at this point, do you feel like it can be fixed?
01:24 Do you feel like the red zone issues can be fixed?
01:25 >> Yeah, look, I thought the red zone was improving.
01:29 It wasn't good enough today.
01:30 And you have an interception and
01:36 a fumble when you get down in there to the red area, that's a problem.
01:39 And then when you get two penalties that put you in first and 20,
01:41 that's a problem.
01:42 >> Dennis, why do you feel like you were so
01:43 worried from the defense to stop the run today?
01:45 >> I think they won the line of scrimmage.
01:47 >> Do you think that is a mashup issue or a scheme issue?
01:54 >> Yeah, I think we just gotta look at it.
01:55 I mean, obviously, I felt like they did a good job of blocking us up front.
02:01 And we'll look at what we can do schematically maybe to be better there.
02:07 But yeah, I think that was a big factor is them winning the line of scrimmage.
02:14 >> Along the lines of Brad's question, this late in the season,
02:17 if it is a matchup issue, can that be fixed with the people you have,
02:21 with a month left or so in the year?
02:23 >> Yeah, we're gonna keep working until we get it fixed.
02:26 >> What happened on that?
02:27 It looked like Derrick was trying to fade to AT and AT didn't.
02:30 >> AT thought that he false started and
02:33 thought that they had called a false start, so he didn't run the route.
02:37 >> Dennis, I'll just ask Derrick to explain that.
02:39 >> Some good and some bad.
02:44 Obviously, I gotta go back and
02:47 look at the interception to see exactly what happened on that.
02:51 Look, I knew Bates was a really good player and
02:54 it's not the first time he's made a play like that.
02:57 So I thought there were some plays that Derrick made, and
03:03 I think there were some plays that we'd like to have back.
03:06 >> Chris Olave had a big first half for you, then he gets hurt.
03:09 What did you see out of him in the first half?
03:11 And then what happens to your offense when you lose that?
03:14 >> Yeah, well, look, I mean, it's not just that.
03:18 I mean, we ended up losing Shaheed, he got hurt early in the game and
03:23 tried to kind of battle through, wasn't himself.
03:26 We ended up taking him out and then obviously Olave went out,
03:29 he's in the concussion protocol.
03:30 So when you're playing without your top three wide receiver,
03:36 it presents some challenges.
03:37 I thought Lin Bowden stepped up and did some nice things.
03:40 So that was encouraging to see.
03:41 But yeah, I think it makes it much more challenging.
03:47 Again, I thought we moved the ball well.
03:48 We just couldn't finish down there in the red area.
03:52 >> How disappointing is it that after doing a self scout kind of during
03:55 the bye week that a lot of the same issues occurred?
03:58 >> Well, specifically red zone issues.
04:04 >> Red zone.
04:05 >> Yeah, well, yeah, penalties, that hurts.
04:09 Not taking care of the ball, that hurts.
04:11 Yeah, I mean, those are challenging things.
04:14 And yet, again, I thought we moved the ball well.
04:18 So we gotta keep working on the red area and
04:23 try to find ways that we can protect the ball better.
04:27 We can't have the penalties.
04:29 >> How do you assess it when you guys are-
04:30 >> Two holding penalties, right?
04:32 >> How do you assess it when you guys are moving the ball and
04:34 it looks like there's yards, but there aren't points?
04:36 Like how do you weigh those two things?
04:39 Like, how are you optimistic about moving the ball but not score?
04:43 Like, how do you- >> Well, yeah, I mean,
04:45 I think that just really gets, I mean, if you're able to move the ball,
04:48 that's obviously a positive, right?
04:51 And so you feel like, well,
04:54 we should be able to move the ball down there in the red area.
04:57 And again, I felt like we did move the ball down there in the red area.
05:00 But again, when you're just gonna be second and three and
05:03 all of a sudden you're looking at first and 20, it's a totally different ball game.
05:07 So that's kind of where I attributed it.
05:11 >> That's when a branch I had to leave the game,
05:12 I think it was like a third down play, like a shooting issue.
05:15 >> Yeah, shooting.
05:15 >> On that drive, there were four or five guys that went out.
05:20 Just how tough was it just to- >> Yeah, yeah,
05:23 that was challenging, obviously, when every other play you got a guy going out.
05:27 And then obviously, Ram goes out and then Landon goes in and
05:35 then we end up giving up the sack.
05:38 So I think that it was challenging to figure out the personnel there for
05:43 a little while.
05:44 >> What's the message to the team now, five and six,
05:46 talking today like just kind of going forward?
05:48 >> Yeah, look, go back to work.
05:49 Go back to work and let's work to be better next week.
05:56 Obviously, we got some guys that gotta get healed up.
05:57 And we'll see where we're at injury wise tomorrow, but
06:02 we got a good opponent coming into our place next week.
06:04 And we'll just have to get ready to go play.
06:08 >> On that third and sixth, the one that Jamal got hurt on,
06:10 what goes in the decision to like Alvin's playing well and he comes out and
06:15 then Jamal goes- >> Yeah, that was more of a situation
06:17 where Alvin had played a few plays in a row and needed a little bit of a breather.
06:21 That happens in the game sometimes.
06:24 So.
06:26 >> With Meshid's injury, was that something that, was that early in the game?
06:30 Was it in warm ups?
06:30 When did that start?
06:31 >> It was early in the game.
06:32 I don't know exactly.
06:34 >> It was on a play.
06:35 >> I think it was on the first drive of the game.
06:37 >> Is that a handstand for him or was it?
06:40 >> Claw.
06:41 >> Was there anything he was dealing with in the week leading up to the game?
06:44 >> No.
06:44 >> Earlier in the season,
06:45 you all talked a lot about the offense needing to get on the same page.
06:49 Do you feel like Derrick and
06:49 receivers are on the same page at this point in the season?
06:52 >> Yeah, I think there's a lot more instances where they are than they're not.
06:56 It was challenging there at the end of the game when you've got,
07:05 again, you're starting three receivers right out of the game.
07:08 So there were some plays there at the end of the game that were challenging.
07:12 Guys having to play in different spots and do some different things.
07:14 But yeah, I think they're more on the same page than where we were.
07:22 I think there's still some things that we have to improve on.
07:25 So.
07:28 >> When you mentioned the, Alvin being in for a couple of plays and
07:32 then you didn't agree there.
07:33 Is that something that y'all are managing or
07:35 is that something that the player comes to you and says that he's looking for?
07:40 >> Well, yeah, I mean, I think it's a little bit of both, right?
07:43 I mean, it's pretty common in our league.
07:48 Happens a lot.
07:49 Guy gets a few plays, needs a little bit of a breather.
07:52 Hey, give me a play here.
07:54 And then you take him out and put the next guy in.
07:57 That's why you have 53 man roster.
07:59 So, but yeah, look, obviously, I felt like Alvin was playing exceptionally well.
08:04 >> Do you feel like the team maybe took a step back coming out of the bye from
08:10 what you would wanted to see out of them overall?
08:13 >> No, it wasn't the outcome that we wanted.
08:17 But I thought there were some good things that I saw.
08:22 Again, we can take all the good and
08:27 we didn't do a good enough job stopping the run.
08:30 And we turned the ball over two times down there in the red area,
08:32 where we have a chance to get points.
08:35 And that really at the end of the day is the difference in the game.
08:37 >> When you have Tyron Matthew come up with two interceptions,
08:42 continuing to buy opportunities for the offense, just how much does that mean?
08:46 I know for not only for the defense, but for the team to-
08:49 >> Yeah, look, I mean,
08:50 look, turnover take away ratio is a huge part of this game.
08:53 And obviously the one takeaway right before the end of the half was big,
08:58 cuz it took points off the board for them.
09:02 And then certainly the second takeaway, it gets our guys the ball back and
09:07 an opportunity to drive down, potentially score some points.
09:13 So yeah, I think taking the ball away is a big factor for us.
09:16 >> The final play before the third quarter looked like there was,
09:19 could have potentially just let the clock run out.
09:21 Was the idea they were on their heels, like why run the play?
09:26 >> Yeah, I mean, We wanted to run a play.
09:31 [LAUGH] You know what I mean?
09:32 Like, I don't know, I mean, we felt like we had to play, we wanted to run a play.
09:36 [BLANK_AUDIO]
09:39 All right, let's go.