You do know they decided to go to a 3-4, right? Granted it was an unprecedented defensive collapse, but that can't be pinned solely on Spagnuolo. They had no head coach, and he didn't have the services of Vilma or Smith. Without those two the Saints lost the first four games. After they were reinstated, the team went 7-5. He also was granted the autonomy to change the philosophy from full attack to read and react - the same philosophy that gave him success in New York. But without the players, and the time to add the ones he needed, he was never going to succeed.