CHICAGO (WVUE)— Motivation is always a factor in NFL games, and on Sunday, one Bears assistant could have a little extra juice.
The Saints will come face-to-face with former head coach Dennis Allen for the first time since he was fired midway through last season. Allen now serves as a defensive assistant with the Chicago Bears.
“We all have these kind of reunion games, so to speak, or fall back to our past experiences, and you play common places, common opponents, common people,” said Saints coach Kellen Moore. “You have a love and appreciation for people. A lot of guys got drafted here because of Dennis, and so there’s an appreciation for that, and Dennis has done a lot of good here.”
The connections run deep between the two teams when they meet on Sunday. Allen has the Chicago defense playing well, as many in New Orleans expected.
“There’s gonna be a lot of appreciation to see Dennis on the other side of the field. I have a ton of respect for him,” Moore said. “Like we said, we’ve competed against each other a bunch over the years. It seemed like whether I was in Dallas or wherever, we always played New Orleans. And so I think it’ll be a great experience for those guys.”
Saints players acknowledged Allen’s impact during his time in New Orleans.
“He was a reliable D-coordinator. He had his turn as head coach, and now he’s over there at Chicago,” Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said. “I’d say I wish him but the best, but we play him this week, so I do not.”
Allen will undoubtedly be motivated against his former team. Counting his years as an assistant, he spent 15 years in New Orleans.
Chicago is currently on a 3-game win streak.
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