Dennis Allen defends onside kick: We hadn't done a great job of stopping them

This season, the kicking crew has recovered one of 31 onside kicks, making them nearly impossible to recover under NFL regulations. Dennis Allen gambled on Thursday night's onside kick for the Saints.

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After the game, Allen justified the choice, saying that punting deep and forcing a three-and-out wasn't a good option given the Rams' offence.

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Allen says we have no timeouts with 3:53 to play. I picked the onside kick as we hadn't stopped them. We couldn't reclaim it, then we tried an onside kick to tie."

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Onside kick recovery has become considerably more challenging, according to Allen, who noted that the NFL has changed rules limiting how the kicking team can set up.

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According to Allen, the way they make you line up and everything makes them difficult to beat in our league right now.

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Because of their extreme difficulty, coaches really shouldn't use them until absolutely required. There was 3:53 left in the game, and the Saints did not need to onside kick.

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