Opinion: If the Saints are going to make a coaching change, now is the time

The New Orleans Saints hit a new low with their lopsided 33-10 loss to Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos on Thursday night. They lost their fifth straight game, their second defeat by more than 20 points in just five days, and head coach Dennis Allen's defense was criticized for giving up. It couldn't be more obvious that now is the time to make a change.

Despite all the injuries and adversity, the focus is on Allen, and his record of 18-23 years as a head coach speaks for itself. Allen's 26-51 record has impressed him greatly during his tenure with the Raiders. When the Saints fire their head coach and name an interim coach to replace him during the season, the time has come. After Week 7, they are 2-5 for the second time in three years. Last year they peaked at 3-4.

Check out the schedule. The Saints will get a few extra days of rest before preparing for a road game against the 3-2 Los Angeles Chargers. They then return home and prepare for another road game, this time hosting the Carolina Panthers, who are 1-5. Then they play two home games against the Atlanta Falcons (4-2) and against the Cleveland Browns (1-5) before the actual bye week. The NFL trade deadline also falls between the Panthers and Falcons games.

Timing is everything in the NFL and they can't miss this opportunity. With ten days between that huge loss to the Broncos and a road game at the Chargers, this is one of the best chances a new voice can resonate in the locker room. Whether it's special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi or another staff member, an interim coach would have time on their side to make significant changes and set a new tone.

But will the Saints do something? Tom Benson has never fired a head coach this season and there is little evidence that Gayle Benson would agree. General manager Mickey Loomis gave Allen credit for his reputation when he promoted him to head coach, and one has to wonder if he would be willing to go down with that ship. After this disastrous turn of the season, a change seems inevitable for the Saints. The only question should be when it happens, and there is no better time than now.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Opinion: If the Saints are going to make a coaching change, now is the time