Saints' Dennis Allen defends team from Eagles' 'dirty' claims

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen defended his players after the Philadelphia Eagles accused the team of dirty play in the Eagles' 15-12 win on Sunday.

"I'd say our guys play extremely hard and we're going to compete until the down is over," Allen said Monday. "I don't think we play dirty. I don't think we ever have played dirty. It's not the way we coach it, not the way we teach it, but we do play hard. Look, nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, nobody's trying to hurt anybody and unfortunately that's part of the business that we're in. No, we don't play dirty. We don't coach dirty, but we do play hard and we do play physical."

Saints defensive end Payton Turner and rookie defensive tackle Khristian Boyd were both accused of dirty play after Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith was placed into concussion protocol and did not return.

Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who the Saints traded to the Eagles in 2022, said Boyd took a cheap shot on Smith.

"Man, that's the dirtiest s--- I ever saw in football, bro," Gardner-Johnson said after the game. "Y'all obviously saw forward progression was stopped. For them to take a cheap shot on one of our key players, it goes to show what type of team that is. They're front-runners."

Smith was being brought down by two Saints defenders after a 5-yard catch in the fourth quarter when Boyd came in from the other side and hit him high as he was going backwards, causing his helmet to fall off. Smith was placed into concussion protocol and left the game, and Boyd was not flagged for the play.

Turner was accused of spitting on Smith while Smith laid on the ground after a post went viral on X.

"Y'all reaching I wouldn't ever do sum like that," Turner wrote in response to the post.

Boyd said that he would never deliberately cause an injury in a now-deleted story on his Instagram account.

"Just trying to make a play on the ball," Boyd wrote. "Get well soon 6."

Saints right tackle Trevor Penning was also flagged for unnecessary roughness during this game for blocking cornerback Darius Slay Jr. into the sideline bench. It was Penning's second unnecessary roughness penalty this season.

Slay left the game with an injury but later said on X that he was OK.

"We can't have that," Allen said. "You've got to have some awareness of where you're at on the field. That could've been a really costly penalty. I love the aggressiveness, but at the same time, we can't hurt the team."

Saints defensive backs Tyrann Mathieu and Marshon Lattimore exchanged words with Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter near the Eagles sideline in the final minute. Carter was directed away by members of the Eagles coaching staff.

"Obviously man, it's an intense game. ... And emotions get high," Mathieu said after the game. "Obviously it was a one-point game for a while there. I think defensively, obviously we want to defend our home field. But obviously, me and Lat, we should never go to those guys sidelines. We'll learn from that. It happens to all of us where emotions kind of get the best of us. Didn't hear much from those guys all game until they went up at the end. Just be looking forward to playing against those guys again hopefully."