Fans, Numbers Showing Little Support For Dennis Allen In Wake Of Firing Rumor
OAKLAND (CBS SF) - Two weeks - and two more losses - after the Raiders' most accomplished player declared "We Suck" the mood has decidedly turned against head coach Dennis Allen. The team has now lost ten straight since narrowly beating the then worst team in the league at the time, Houston, back before Thanksgiving.
Associated Press reporter Terry Collins tweeted Sunday that Allen had been fired after the team's loss to the Dolphins in London. Collins later deleted the tweet and apologized, but that was enough to set off an avalanche of criticism for the 42-year-old coach:
Allen came in with New GM Reggie McKenzie in 2012, and the duo was supposed to get a long leash to recover from the salary cap problems and draft deficit (remember all those first round picks traded for Carson Palmer?) left by predecessors. It looks like that leash ran out of rope Sunday in London, and now fans are looking critically at the numbers after two and a quarter seasons under the coach.
How bad is it? Allen's record is 8-28 as head coach. That means the Raiders' win total during Allen's tenure is the same as the number games in which they've lost by at least three touchdowns over that span. Over the last 25 games, the team is 5-20, a .200 winning percentage.
Allen came to Oakland from Denver with a reputation as a defensive guru, but the defense hasn't stiffened up as hoped - even with the addition of some high-profile free agents this past off-season. As of Monday, the Raiders ranked 20th in the league in total defense and second to last in the league against the run, surrendering 158 yards a game. The story is even worse on offense, where Oakland ranks dead last in rushing yards, total yards and points.
According to FootballPerspective.com, Allen is the worst Raiders coach in the post AFL-NFL merger era, but just the second worst coach overall of the last decade. He's the 13th least successful head coach in the modern NFL era.
The Raiders now have a bye week to prepare for a home game against San Diego August 12th. There has been no word yet from the Raiders that anyone other than Allen will be leading the team when it take the field at O.Co.
