New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen is pushing back against claims from the Philadelphia Eagles that his team resorted to dirty play during their recent clash. The Saints narrowly lost to the Eagles 15-12 on Sunday, in a game that was marred by injuries and heated moments.
Allegations of unsportsmanlike behavior emerged following incidents involving Saints defenders Payton Turner and Khristian Boyd. Their hit on Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith dislodged his helmet, leading to Smith's departure from the game and subsequent placement in the concussion protocol. The severity of this incident prompted Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to condemn the actions as "the dirtiest shit I ever saw in football, bro."
The game featured intense physical play, sparking frustration among numerous Eagles players over what they perceived as overly aggressive tactics by the Saints. On top of the controversy surrounding Turner and Boyd, Saints right tackle Trevor Penning was penalized for unnecessary roughness after delivering an excessive block that sent Eagles safety Darius Slay crashing into the sideline benches.
Despite the backlash, Saints head coach Dennis Allen staunchly defended his team's approach. "I'd say our guys play extremely hard and we're going to compete until the down is over. I don't think we play dirty. I don't think we ever have played dirty. It's not the way we coach it, not the way we teach it, but we do play hard," Allen asserted. He reiterated that the Saints' focus is on physical, competitive play rather than dirty tactics. "Look, nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, nobody's trying to hurt anybody and unfortunately that's part of the business that we're in. No, we don't play dirty. We don't coach dirty, but we do play hard and we do play physical," he added.
Addressing Penning's penalty, Allen emphasized the need for greater awareness on the field. "We can't have that. You've got to have some awareness of where you're at on the field. That could've been a really costly penalty. I love the aggressiveness, but at the same time, we can't hurt the team," he said.
The Saints, now standing at 2-1 for the season, are eager to move past the controversy. Gardner-Johnson's biting comment branding the Saints as "Pretenders" only adds fuel to the fire as both teams look ahead to future matchups. The contentious atmosphere between the two franchises is likely to linger, potentially setting the stage for even more intense encounters down the road.
While the debate over the nature of the Saints' play continues, Allen aims to keep the team's focus steady. He believes in their competitive spirit and asserts that their style of play is rooted in legitimate football principles. Moving forward, the Saints will need to balance their aggressive play-style with a heightened awareness to avoid further penalties and accusations of dirty play.