It doesn't get much worse than this. The New Orleans Saints have played eight games and lost six of them to start the 2024 season, falling short to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday by a margin of 26-8. Dennis Allen is 2-6 for the first time as an NFL head coach. The Saints have been bad before, but they've never been down bad like this.

Allen guided the Saints to a 4-4 record at this point last season, and they were 3-5 a year before. If you go back to when he was coaching the Raiders he reached 3-5 in each of his first two years before being dismissed after an 0-4 start in Year 3. But, again, when given time to work he's found ways to win at least three games by now.

That hasn't been the case for New Orleans. The Saints are built around Allen's handmade defense, which he has scouted, drafted, and developed  since 2016, but they've given up 26 or more points in each of their last five games. Whether the Saints are preparing on a short week between prime-time games or getting an extra few days to rest after a Thursday night game, they're looking wounded and winded week in and week out.

Something has to change. Dismissing Allen from his post wouldn't fix all the problems that trail this Saints team, but it would show that ownership is engaged and aware of those issues, and willing to do something about it. They can't keep settling for mediocrity and wallowing in losses.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Dennis Allen is 2-6 for the first time as an NFL head coach