For the second time this season, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will be going up against a team he used to be a head coach for, but this time it feels different.
Allen's first head coaching job was with the team that is now the Las Vegas Raiders when they were in Oakland. He coached just three seasons with the team, going 8-28 before getting fired early in his third year.
It would take him nearly a decade before getting his second chance at being a head coach when he was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach for the New Orleans Saints after Sean Payton's departure. This stint went a little bit better, but still finished with an 18-25 record without a postseason appearance and was once again fired in the middle of his third season last year.
Allen got the fresh start he needed with the Bears and has helped the team go 3-2 to start the season. This week, he gets a chance to pull one over on his former team, the Saints, with a win.
Allen's focus doesn't appear to be on the revenge game everyone else in Chicago is focused on
While speaking to the media, Allen was asked about his time with the Saints as the head coach for nearly three years. Nothing negative came out of Allen's mouth about New Orleans, but he also wants to keep the focus on the game.
“A lot of good experiences, a lot of good people, a lot of wins,” Allen said via 670 The Score's Chris Emma. “We were a part of a lot of success there. I’ve got fond memories of it, but this week is really all about let’s focus on the football. This is going to be about the players on the field, Bears versus the Saints, those guys will really determine the outcome of the game.”
A follow-up was asked about his struggles as the Saints' head coach with salary cap issues and losing. Allen didn't want to look back on the past too much.
“I don’t think I’m going to go there,” Allen said. “Let’s just focus on what we’ve got going on now.”
Allen has done an exceptional job with the Bears' defense despite dealing with multiple injuries to the roster. His unit is second in the NFL with 12 turnovers created, with 11 of those turnovers coming during their current three-game winning streak.
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Bears fans might have had this game circled on their calendar to see their defensive coordinator get a little revenge on the Saints, but Allen is only focused on the one thing that matters: winning.