While eight NFL teams are preparing for a shot at their respective conference championships, the New Orleans Saints have already begun to plan for the 2024.

That plan opened a couple of days ago with General Manager Mickey Loomis announcing Coach Dennis Allen was staying for a third season, while the team would move on from Pete Carmichael and look for another offensive coordinator. Jim Derry and The Athletic's Larry Holder are here to discuss on the weekly Friday episode of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 205).

They'll also offer their picks for all four playoff games this weekend in the Divisional Round, and will the duo agree as much as they did last week? (Let’s hope not.)

There are only so many ways one can beat a dead horse. Or chop dead wood. Whatever the case, we here at the Dattitude Podcast wonder how the New Orleans Saints become successful following the lack of respect the players obviously have for Coach Dennis Allen.

But on Ep. 204, we talk about that and more with The Athletic’s Larry Holder, who covered this team for more than a decade and now covers the NFL. He’ll also share his picks for all six playoff games this weekend, and shockingly, he and host Jim Derry agree on five of six picks.

What’s the game to look for, who has the upper hand in the race for the Lombardi Trophy, and what is the best bet of the weekend? Well, duh, you have to listen to find out.

NOTE: Small portions of this podcast include explicit language. User discretion is advised.

Only the New Orleans Saints could beat their hated rivals by 31 points in the season finale to finish with a winning season, but yet find a way to embarrass themselves. Or maybe only Dennis Allen could find a way to embarrass himself. At the minimum, he opened a window into the soul of the team’s locker room.

Just when Jim Derry was trying to turn a positive leaf into 2024 and was ready to give Allen a real shot heading into the offseason. Even if the Saints couldn’t find the miracle path to the playoffs, finishing strong would be one way to exorcise many of the demons and at least change some mindsets.

But no. Allen not only apologized to the Atlanta Falcons and soon-to-be-fired coach Arthur Smith, but he admitted to the media, the team doesn’t listen or care to one word he has to say. And in the final Monday Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 202) of the season, Jim asks the question in Derry’s Dime, “How can the Saints possibly move forward with Allen as coach after this utter embarrassment?”

Jim Derry is promising to be more positive in 2024. The New Orleans Saints certainly will test that New Year’s resolution on Sunday when they host the Atlanta Falcons in a game that could see the winner being crowned NFC South champion.

OK, maybe that’s a bit far-fetched, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would also need to lose to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Charlotte. But remember, we’re staying positive on this show. Or (spoiler alert) at least until we give our predictions.

Larry Holder of The Athletic is back for his regular Friday spot, and he joins the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 202) to share his thoughts on not only the Saints chances Sunday, but also the other three divisions up for grab: the AFC East and South, as well as the NFC East.

Yeah, we get it. You’ve been screaming about how much you hate Dennis Allen and Derek Carr. Back when they were 5-7, you were hoping they would go like 1-4 the rest of the way, and real changes would be made.

Those chances for change are gone. But you know what isn’t gone? The Saints playoff chances. So you might as well enjoy these days while they’re still around. You never know when the next time this team will have a shot at the playoffs.

And that is exactly what Jim Derry is screaming in his “Dime” on a special Sunday edition of the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 201), as that 12-percent shot at the postseason suddenly has become 31 percent with one game remaining.

New Year's Eve is coming Sunday, and the New Orleans Saints hope to pop their fireworks on the road at Tampa Bay to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. But first, we have a much bigger celebration here at home, as the Dattitude Podcast celebrates 200 episodes.

To do so, show host Jim Derry brings on Devin "Hold The Mayo" Snow to talk about the Saints slim chances at the playoffs, what has gone wrong this season ... and we'll probably talk a little about red beans and rice, even though it isn't Monday.

Questions we likely will ask HTM: Will the Saints be better next year? Is he riding “in the Carr?” What the bleepity bleep happened this season? What would he do with this coaching staff? And how in all that is holy does he eat that much every Monday?

FINALLY! Finally a game fans of the New Orleans Saints can get fired up about. Or at least the ones who aren’t foolishly rooting for their favorite team to win the rest of their games.

Yep, Coach Dennis Allen’s defensive game plan was outstanding, quarterback Derek Carr was near perfect, the New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito probably needed his momma to double up on the ice packs before bed Sunday night. But should fans be thrilled about maybe the most complete effort of the season or pissed because this is the team we should have seen play all season?

In Monday’s edition of “Derry’s Dime” on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 199), host Jim Derry says just enjoy it while it lasts, because there’s still quite the long journey to catching Tampa Bay, and it begins on a short week in Los Angeles this Thursday.

It has been a long time since the fan base of the New Orleans Saints has been as outwardly negative as they are right now. And the ironic thing is it comes with the team in the middle of a chase for an NFC South championship with three teams tied at the top of the division.

What gives? Why do so many Who Dats think the team should just lose the rest of the way? What do they think that would accomplish? Would Coach Dennis Allen and his staff be forced to exit stage left? Would a higher draft pick come in and help be a savior? Or would it be more of the same?

As he usually does, Jim Derry weighs in on the situation and gives his take ahead of the game vs. the New York Giants – a team with a worse record whose fans have a completely different feeling. And also on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 198), The Athletic’s Larry Holder makes his weekly Friday appearance to share his thoughts on the Black and Gold, as the duo also previews Sunday’s game and goes through some of the big matchups in Week 15 of the NFL.

Even in victory, this New Orleans Saints team seems to be a trainwreck. Quarterback Derek Carr, who spent most of the week in concussion protocol, had 37 yards through the first three quarters before finally waking up in the final minutes. Oh, and he was publicly fighting with veteran center Erik McCoy, and telling the press, “There’s no problem. It’s all good. … Brother, I’m not trying to be negative with you anymore.”

As for Coach Paul Bunyan, aka Dennis Allen, everything is fine because the Saints won for the first time in a month. But is it?

In Monday’s edition of “Derry’s Dime” on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 197), host Jim Derry seems to be coming around to the Who Dat way of thinking there might be more problems on this team than they can overcome. Problems, that is, even a potential NFC South championship (which still is way off in the distance) could fix.

It has been more than a calendar month since the New Orleans Saints won a football game, but they still find themselves in the heart of the NFC South race with a game they SHOULD win Sunday against division-foe Carolina, who has won just once all season.

But these Saints continue to create more questions for their fans than answers, and the oddsmakers see this game a little differently than they would have seen it just a few weeks ago. (And they keep “choppin’ wood.”) Quarterback Derek Carr is in concussion protocol for the third time this year and has a rib injury, yet Coach Dennis Allen has not said whether it will be Carr or Jameis Winston starting on Sunday. Does it matter?

These are all top topics of conversation on Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 196) for host Jim Derry and The Athletic’s Larry Holder, as the duo will go through comments and questions from listeners and share their thoughts on the matchup. They each will wrap up the show with their predictions for this game and for other top contests in the NFL for Week 14. Spoiler alert: One of them is playing the role of “King of Wishful Thinking.”