Leadership Shift: Can Darren Rizzi Ignite the Saints’ New Era?

Darren Rizzi is seasoned and comes from a strong coaching tree. Players can respond under him and New Orleans can at least have some hope for what's left in the season.

Nov 7, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi reacts after a fumble on an Atlanta Falcons kickoff return during the second half at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images / Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

The Darren Rizzi era begins for New Orleans, and it's familiar territory for the new Saints interim head coach. The in-season change is something he's been through before several times during his time with the Miami Dolphins.

Rizzi was the logical choice to be the guy after the team's decision to dismiss Dennis Allen. He's a Bill Parcells type of guy, and it's evident that he's going to bring that style to the table. Needless to say, now the team enters a very important three-month stretch.

Rizzi said on Monday afternoon, "We've all had a hand, me included, in where we are right now. And we're all going to have a hand in kind of digging us out of this hole that we're in."

At 2-7, Rizzi said that the team needed to 'circle the wagons right now' and that everybody needs to be on board. Everything is going to get evaluated and reevaluated with Rizzi in charge, but he's not saying he's going to be at the helm of the ship, but trying to keep it moving forward. He also acknowledged what many have said about the team's product being unacceptable.

"Everything down from the schedule to how we do things to the active players to daily schedule, we're going to look at everything. How we practice...all those different things. And so, really haven't made any final decisions on all that, but a wise man and Hall of Fame coach (Bill Parcells) once told me, 'If something's going to change, then something's got to change,' so we're going to make some changes."

Rizzi has a chip on his shoulder, saying he grew up a 'fighter'. He said he has never been handed anything. He was a walk-on in college, a free agent in the NFL and started as a coach in D-II football. He brings passion and energy and is clearly a blue collar type of worker, and he said that work is what New Orleans needs to get out of this.

"In tough situations, leaders really show their true colors, and I think the rest of the team it's the same thing. We're going to find out right now who's going to fight."

Rizzi is an accountability and keep it real guy, and he's bringing what he does on special teams to the table. "That 1/11th philosophy is going to be something we carry, because in no other sport can one person have an error and it affects the other people."

Positive conversations were had throughout the day and nobody has lost hope, but improvement is needed from New Orleans. Most of it centers around execution in all three phases with accountability. He's someone who has dealt with everyone on the team, and that's not an exaggeration. He said that's one reason why special teams coaches typically make better interim head coaches.

Joe Woods will run the defense and handle play calling duties, while Klint Kubiak will continue to be the offensive guy. Rizzi will still have a hand in the special teams, but Phil Galiano will have more duties and the Saints will be bringing in another quality control guy to help. And for anyone who might have thought something would change, Derek Carr will be the team's quarterback.

The football and execution has to get better, but Rizzi said the Saints are not going to lack passion and fight and that it's not going to be boring to watch. His message to fans was pretty loud and clear.

"Listen, they should be pissed off. I'm pissed off. The fans should be pissed off. The people in New Orleans, the people in Louisiana, no one should be happy. I think this city deserves a winner. They know what winning football looks like, and it's our job to bring that back. My message is this. I can't promise a lot. I can promise passion. I can promise fight, and I can tell you that the team is going to go out there every Sunday and that's going to be clear that we're going to have a team that's full of passion and a team that's full of fighters. That I can promise you."

Regardless of who is in the building right now for the Saints and after the Tuesday trade deadline passes, this three-month period is going to be big for both players and coaches. They get a day off and will then be expected to come in on Wednesday with a renewed sense of focus and get to work to try to turn this thing around. Naturally, that's an almost impossible task to get themselves into a playoff position, but it's just about focusing on the Atlanta Falcons right now.

At least Saints fans can tune into Sunday knowing that the same stale product won't be out there, but they'll have to show everyone how it's going to be different as the team has a lot to figure out before they hang it up this year.