Saints Pete Carmichael firing is even more savage than you think

Pete Carmichael was a holdover from the Sean Payton era in New Orleans, and spent the last 15 seasons as offensive coordinator. When Payton retired for a brief period of time before taking over in Denver, Carmichael was handed the play-calling duties. That transition hasn't exactly gone according to plan.

Now, it's tough to blame Carmichael for all of the Saints offensive failures. When Drew Brees retired, there was bound to be a decrease in productivity. However, New Orleans signed Derek Carr this past offseason with the hope that their quarterback issues would be a thing of the past. When Carr also struggled in Carmichael's offense, the writing was on the wall.

"I would especially like to thank Pete for his contributions to this staff for 18 seasons.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for the job he has done and as a colleague," Dennis Allen said. "These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward."

Saints had no choice but to fire OC Pete Carmichael

The Saints locker room was a mess by the end of the season, with Jameis Winston staging what amounted to a player coup on the final offensive play of the game. Winston and the Saints offense wanted to pad Jamaal Williams stats, rather than kneeling the ball, which was the demand from the sideline. Former Falcons coach Arthur Smith was furious at Allen postgame as a result.

Perhaps even worse than being fired from an organization Carmichael has spent nearly two decades with is the manner in which it occurred. Rather than give Carmichael a head start on finding his next job, the Saints and Allen waited a week prior to making their decision. Essentially, the Saints gave Carmichael the week off before handing him a pink slip.

Carmichael was the fall guy for what can only be described as a disappointing season in New Orleans. Allen cannot afford another one, or he'll be next.