The New Orleans Saints are taking serious action after suffering their second consecutive loss.

The franchise has decided to let go of head coach Dennis Allen following a dismal seven-game losing streak, bringing their record to 2-7.

Darren Rizzi, who serves as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator, has been appointed as the interim head coach.

Saints executive vice president and general manager Mickey Loomis cited “a wave of injuries” as a significant reason for the team’s struggles this season. Currently, New Orleans has ten players on injured reserve, including wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, center Erik McCoy, and cornerback Paulson Adebo. Quarterback Derek Carr was sidelined for three games due to an oblique injury, and top wide receiver Chris Olave suffered his second concussion of the season during the last game.

“DA never made excuses, and he fought hard every day for both this organization and this team, which makes today very disappointing,” Loomis stated. “Dennis has been a vital part of our success for nearly twenty years. He will be greatly missed.”

Allen is now the second head coach in the NFL to be dismissed during the current season, following the New York Jets’ departure of Robert Saleh in October.

In his third year with the Saints, Allen concludes his time with an 18-25 record with the team. Overall, he holds a career record of 26-53 after coaching the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.

Allen had previously spent 12 years as a defensive assistant with the Saints in two separate periods. He stepped into the head coach role in 2022 after the long-standing coach Sean Payton left. Although the Saints missed the playoffs in his first two seasons, the front office chose to maintain the core team, delaying salary-cap issues to retain key veteran players.

After beginning the season scoring a total of 91 points under newly appointed offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the Saints have struggled significantly since then. Recently, they lost 23-22 to the Carolina Panthers, who had only one victory prior and were defeated by New Orleans 47-10 in their opening game.

This article has been updated with the latest information.