Dennis Allen talks about several things that went wrong for the Saints on Sunday and discusses some Derek Carr.
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00:00 But obviously we've got to still play better, so go ahead.
00:03 >> Last year, you said you felt like you needed to sit Jameis because the injuries
00:07 were piling up.
00:08 Is there a consideration for doing that with Derek now that he's left three times?
00:11 >> I think both of those are totally different situations.
00:14 >> Well, they both had multiple injuries.
00:15 >> They're both totally different situations.
00:17 >> In what regard?
00:18 >> How so?
00:18 >> They're totally different situations, all right?
00:22 We're not getting into what we did last year, what we're doing this year, all
00:25 right?
00:27 >> Look, Derek's in the concussion protocol right now, so
00:30 we'll evaluate that as we go.
00:32 >> Is the concussion potentially serious?
00:35 >> I don't know that.
00:37 I mean, he's going in for evaluation on a couple of different things,
00:43 but he's in the concussion protocol.
00:45 And look, I didn't mean to shut down your question, but yeah, I mean, look.
00:52 Obviously, with injuries, you certainly gotta pay attention to that.
00:58 But I'm not getting into the business of we're gonna compare things from one year
01:01 to the next, so.
01:02 >> Well, I just phrased it that way cuz y'all had precedent of doing that, and
01:05 Derek's had the same shoulder injury three times and a concussion.
01:08 Or a concussion protocol twice now.
01:10 So I was asking if there was any consideration to maybe giving him a rest.
01:13 >> Got it.
01:14 >> Is there any mounting concern at all with it being, I mean,
01:19 concussion protocol again?
01:20 I mean, three- >> Yeah, look, I mean,
01:21 I think anytime you have a concussion, it's concerning.
01:24 So yeah, certainly.
01:28 And yeah, there's concern with some of the injuries that he's suffered.
01:34 So look, just like we do all the time, we'll go in and
01:38 evaluate where he's at physically and see where he's at physically.
01:43 And then we'll go from there.
01:44 >> How difficult do you think it was for
01:46 this team to probably recognize some of the atmosphere?
01:50 A lot of Lions fans were in the stands.
01:52 There were a lot of booing early on.
01:54 >> I mean, how can you not?
01:57 I mean, I think it was noticeable.
02:01 And that's our job to change it.
02:02 So I was proud of the way that our guys fought back,
02:08 got back into the game, gave ourselves a real opportunity.
02:11 And at the end, we just couldn't get it done.
02:14 >> And to what you attribute the early hole, I mean, was that just poor execution?
02:19 Or was it- >> Well, look,
02:20 I mean, you have to give those guys some credit, right?
02:23 I mean, they're a good team.
02:25 They're second in the league in offense.
02:27 And they took the ball right down the field on the first drive.
02:30 We missed the tackle on the one run play, which created an explosive play.
02:34 And they scored a touchdown.
02:35 And then backs against the wall, we turned the ball over.
02:39 And they were able to get another touchdown.
02:40 And so now all of a sudden, you're starting the game down 14 to nothing.
02:44 So we didn't start well.
02:47 We battled back, we scratched and clawed and got ourselves back into this.
02:50 And we're gonna keep swinging and keep chopping wood.
02:53 And I told the team, look, we're eventually gonna break through.
02:56 >> Dennis, how much, if at all, do you think Derrick's performance,
03:00 especially in the third quarter, was maybe motivated by the booing?
03:04 Did you see any correlation to that?
03:07 >> I wouldn't be able to answer that question.
03:08 I mean, obviously, we're all prideful, we're all competitive, and
03:14 we wanna perform.
03:15 And so I thought after he kinda settled in a little bit,
03:20 I thought there was a stretch there where he played really, really well.
03:24 And it was unfortunate that he got injured.
03:28 >> Early this week, there was a lot of conversation about does the team have or
03:31 not have identity?
03:32 Did you see the identity you wanted to see from this team today?
03:35 >> Yeah, look, I mean, our guys fought, all right?
03:40 We weren't perfect.
03:41 I didn't like the execution early on.
03:43 I thought it got better as the game went on.
03:45 I did see explosive plays down the field,
03:47 which I thought we could potentially create.
03:50 So yeah, I mean, I saw some things that I liked, and yet there's a few mistakes
03:57 that end up, handful of plays that kinda end up costing you the game.
04:01 And those are the plays that we have to eliminate.
04:03 >> What was the main reason for the struggle,
04:04 just hitting Sam LaPorte, who kinda had a big game against you guys?
04:08 >> Well, look, I mean, he's a good player.
04:10 They got a lot of good weapons, all right?
04:13 So there were some times where we made a conscious decision,
04:18 take Amun Ram, St. Brown out of the game.
04:20 And when you do that, and you devote more resources to that,
04:26 it opens up some other areas.
04:29 So yeah, look, I mean, he's a good player.
04:34 They're good offense.
04:35 They've moved the ball on a lot of teams.
04:38 So, but that was probably the big reason why,
04:44 is we devoted a few resources in other areas.
04:47 >> Dennis, when you don't win these one score games, and you come close again,
04:52 do you think that at any point erodes a team's confidence to believe that they can do it?
04:57 >> Yeah, I don't think there's anything eroding the confidence of this team right
05:00 now.
05:00 I mean, we're gonna keep chopping wood, all right?
05:04 And that's the only thing you can do in this league.
05:06 We're gonna leave the naysaying to everybody else outside the building.
05:09 We're just gonna focus on what we have to do to try to improve in those areas, so
05:13 that hopefully we can eventually break through and
05:16 win some of these one score games that you're talking about.
05:19 Because we're obviously close, and we just gotta keep chopping wood.
05:24 >> Did the fourth quarter fumble, did Hurst get in contact with the-
05:28 >> Yeah, it looked like,
05:29 from the shot I saw, it looked like as Derek was coming out under center to toss
05:33 the ball, and James Hurst is pulling and reaching, it looked like he hit the ball.
05:40 >> You used that expression, leave the naysaying to those outside the building.
05:44 Is that something that the teams in general have to make sure does not get into
05:48 a locker room, and did this game help you believe that maybe it has?
05:51 >> Yeah, look, I mean, look, nothing positive comes out of being doom and gloom.
06:00 Obviously, you gotta make the corrections that need to be made, all right?
06:03 And then you've gotta try to accentuate the positives, and
06:06 you gotta try to minimize the negatives.
06:08 That's what you have to be able to do.
06:11 And look, we keep swinging, and eventually one of these turns our way, and
06:16 we make the play at the end of the game that gives us an opportunity to win
06:19 the game, all right?
06:20 And then you develop some confidence from there.
06:22 So that's where we're at as a football team.
06:25 >> I know it doesn't come down to one speech or one thing someone says, but
06:28 was there anything you heard or saw or
06:30 liked while you were down 21-0 that that spirit remained?
06:35 >> Well, look, I mean, I think our guys just got over on the sideline and
06:38 realized that we just gotta keep fighting.
06:42 You really got two choices when it's in that situation, okay?
06:45 You can take the easy way out and you can give up, wave the white flag, all right?
06:48 With a loser's mentality, or you can keep fighting.
06:53 And our guys chose to keep fighting.
06:55 And look, we battled back, we gave ourselves a chance to win against
06:58 a really good football team.
06:59 We didn't get it done.
07:01 >> It may be that, but what was the message at halftime?
07:04 >> That exact message, that exact message.
07:08 Keep swinging.
07:10 >> Coach, did they surprise you that they threw the ball away at the end
07:14 in that situation?
07:15 >> Talking about the last play?
07:16 >> Yes, sir. >> No, no.
07:18 That's kind of been something that they've been ready to do in those situations.
07:25 And yet, you're in a situation where you can't let them run it.
07:31 And yet, they can take the ball off the line of scrimmage and throw it.
07:35 They made a play in that particular situation.
07:38 >> Dennis, the kind of flip-flop usage with Derrick and
07:42 Taysom early, was that part of the plan or was that kind of game flow?
07:46 >> Well, I think it was always part of the plan to utilize Taysom
07:50 in some of these plays.
07:54 And then I think as the flow of the game went on, and particularly early on,
08:00 I thought there was some success with some of the things we were doing with Taysom.
08:04 And so we probably utilized it a little bit more.
08:07 >> Was it actually a tough decision?
08:08 >> Thought we had an opportunity on the big play down the field with Taysom and
08:11 a quarterback too.
08:12 >> Was it actually a tough decision late in the game when James, obviously,
08:15 coming in late in the game and Taysom having been running the ball and
08:19 then- >> No, look, I mean,
08:20 our plan has always been if anything happened to Derrick,
08:26 James is a quarterback and we'll use Taysom in the same role that we've
08:30 always utilized him.
08:32 >> And is it the same scenario again,
08:33 the concussion keeps him out, is it shoulder firing?
08:35 >> Well, that's one thing that we're gonna look at, so.
08:39 All right, guys, thanks.