Dennis Allen shortens playcalls, cuts down on confusion and missed assignments

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After a season in which New Orleans Saints defensive players weren't always on the same page, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has to find a way to ensure everyone knows the call for every play.

Defensive end Bobby Richardson filled the public in on one way Allen is trying to fix last year's problem.

"Our calls are smaller, so coming in from the sideline, you don't have these long calls that you got to wait on and you got to process the call and then process what the offense is about to run," he said Wednesday. "It's small calls now, and it helps you get lined up quicker, which helps you play better."

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Thus far in training camp at The Greenbrier, several players have said Allen is installing a simpler defense, but simpler isn't always better. But, one of the main focuses of the defense is to be "vicious," as safety Kenny Vaccaro said last week, and if players are thinking less, it'll be easier for them to just attack.

Having shorter play calls should make it easier for everyone to know the plays, and with many teams in the NFL using up-tempo offenses, the defense moving from play to play quicker will help players be ready for the next snap.

"Just getting guys lined up, and all 11 guys playing the same defense," Payton said of the shortened calls. "And I think Dennis is someone that can streamline that and look to help the communication process, if you will. Make it faster, and then really demand that it's done just right. I would say that his attention to detail is a strength, which is separate from just the organizational skills (that he has).

"The little things do matter in everything we're doing out here. When you're talking about communicating and a team's up at the line of scrimmage, going with an upbeat tempo, you've got to be able to get that called and signaled in and communicated."

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Payton said the changes under Allen wouldn't be quite that simple.

"Well, we're not changing how we call defenses based on how the colleges are," he said. "But, that being said, part of the emphasis today was, there's a lot of spontaneous football snaps where the offense is right back at the line of scrimmage and how quickly we get the defense communicated and played is half the battle."

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