The Saints could justify changes on defense based on results alone.
But it appears that’s far from the only reason a change is expected.
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the working relationship between head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator rob Ryan “has been rapidly deteriorating” over the course of this season, and that the two men “strongly dislike each other.”
Payton, the offensive mastermind, hasn’t quite found a comfortable relationship with any of his defensive coordinators, and this one seems doomed. The two men have had several animated discussions (which is pretty much the only kind Ryan has) on the sidelines, and the results this year have been little short of disastrous.
So making a change on the side of the ball that isn’t performing doesn’t seem like a shock.