Former Saints HC Allen is sending back-to-back blitzes from defensive backs while up 38–0, while Moore remains indecisive about the QB starter
Dennis Allen’s aggressive defensive play-calling—even while leading 38-0—has certainly raised eyebrows. In a recent preseason game where the Bears dominated the Bills, Allen, now the Bears’ defensive coordinator, reportedly dialed up back-to-back blitzes from defensive backs despite the lopsided score.
This kind of decision reflects Allen’s philosophy: intensity and confusion over complacency. Known for his deceptive fronts and pressure schemes, Allen often stacks defenders at the line of scrimmage to keep offenses guessing—even if he doesn’t always send the blitz. But in this case, he did, and it sent a clear message: the Bears defense plays with purpose, regardless of the scoreboard.
While some might view blitzing with a massive lead as excessive or unsportsmanlike, others see it as a tone-setting move for a defense trying to establish identity and rhythm before the regular season. Allen’s approach is less about the score and more about execution, discipline, and maintaining a competitive edge.
Want to dive deeper into how Allen’s schemes work or why coaches make these kinds of calls in preseason? I’ve got plenty more to unpack.
Kellen Moore Shared Next Step In Saints QB Competition
The New Orleans Saints haven’t announced a quarterback decision yet but now we at least know when we will find out more.
New Orleans is the only team still without a decided starting quarterback for Week 1. That’s going to remain the case at least through the third preseason game, per head coach Kellen Moore and transcribed by ESPN's Katherine Terrell.
"We've got three days of practice and a game (against the Denver Broncos), so we've got some excellent work coming our way," Moore said as transcribed by Terrell. "...It's really, really close -- numbers, experiences, reps, everything -- it's going all the way back to the start of training camp. Everything is very, very close between this group. We'll see how it all plays out...
"We haven't named one. So we haven't gone through that. Once we make that decision, they'll know, and then you guys will know. ... We're not hiding anything, guys, don't worry."
Saints quarterback competition seemingly down to two
There you have it. There has been a lot of noise out there. This has been a difficult quarterback competition to judge simply because of the fact that it really has been extremely close. In the two preseason games, both Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough somewhat struggled starting just to have the other come in and play better afterward. Both have shown some flashes, while both also have had some inconsistent moments. That's going to happen with a quarterback competition featuring young guys like this.
Rattler is the incumbent while Shough is the new rookie coming to town. Right now, it's anyone's game and the final preseason game likely will decide the competition on Saturday, Aug. 23rd. The only thing that can pretty much be fully confirmed at this moment is that the competition is just between Rattler and Shough now and Jake Haener isn't in the running. The team hasn't said that specifically, but Haener didn't get into the second preseason game and Moore noted that was to get more of an evaluation on Rattler.
