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Darren Rizzi walked into the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans like he usually does on Saints game days, but he went in as the interim head coach of his squad after the departure of Dennis Allen.
With more pressure on him given his new role, Rizzi tried to go about his usual routine, but things did not go according to plan, and it was pretty hilarious after Rizzi explained it after the game.
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New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi looks on against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Caesars Superdome. (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)
"If you know me, I’m a pretty open guy," Rizzi began. "So, this is how my day started. I get down here to the stadium, get down here to the Superdome. I go into the head coach’s locker room, you know, I never used before. Here I am early in the morning, I go to the bathroom, and this is how my day started: I clogged the toilet.
"I’m like, ‘This is going to be a crappy day,’ pun intended. I’m like, ‘OK, this is not really a great start to the day. Here we go.’ So, I’m not feeling like the head coach of an NFL team right now."
Luckily for Rizzi, his clogged toilet did not reflect what would happen when his Saints took on the Atlanta Falcons.
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The Saints took down their NFC South rival, 20-17, behind Derek Carr’s 269 yards through the air with two touchdown passes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who recently joined the team.
As the former special teams coordinator, Rizzi loved that his field goal defense unit was able to block one of Younghoe Koo’s field goal attempts as he struggled on the day.
New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi reacts to a fourth down stop of the Atlanta Falcons in his first game as interim head coach during the second half at Caesars Superdome. (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)
Rizzi said that, while he understood what was expected of him in his new job on the sideline, he had to remind himself in the heat of the moment what was going on.
"Listen, there were moments during the game, I’m so wrapped up in my routine. There were moments today I almost forget, I’m going through my routine and I’m kinda forgetting that I’m the head coach a couple times. All true," he said, laughing.
There have been many moments over the years of an NFL team finding new life with the firing of a head coach. The shift in the locker room translates to the field, which is what happened for New Orleans, a team that snapped a seven-game losing streak after starting the year 2-0.
Last season, it was the Las Vegas Raiders, who saw a culture change with Antonio Pierce taking over for the fired Josh McDaniels.
New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi reacts to a fourth down stop of the Atlanta Falcons in his first game as interim head coach during the second half at Caesars Superdome. (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)
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Rizzi is hoping his squad can go on a run now that the first win is out of the way.
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