METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton shot down a report that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been fired, saying no such decision had been made as of Monday morning.
But Payton didn't rule it out as a possibility and made it clear that some significant changes will be made to the Saints' historically bad defense during the bye week.
"You'd consider change, right? And yet at the same time, we haven't even begun to sit down and broach that subject," Payton said the morning after his most lopsided defeat as a head coach -- a 47-14 loss at the Washington Redskins. "[Firing Ryan] is something we haven't even met on. ... I would always meet with [GM Mickey Loomis], and that would be something that would not be done without a lot of thought."
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said Ryan filled his normal role in team meetings Monday morning and that players weren't told of any pending moves. Jordan said he doesn't know what might happen during the bye week but he will be ready to go next week regardless.
Payton insinuated several times that changes will be made to a defense that fell to last place in yards allowed this week and is on pace to allow the second-most yards in NFL history (424.7 YPG).
The only defense that allowed more? The 2012 Saints, at 440.1 yards per game.
Payton was on suspension that year, but he fired first-year defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo once he was reinstated and hired Ryan.
"It's hard to be last. That's hard to do," said Payton, who lamented issues such as poor fundamentals and having only 10 men on the field Sunday while also stressing that players didn't execute well enough. "I do know this: Continuing just along the same course we're taking right now is not something that we're going to do. And I'm talking about players. I'm talking about us as a staff, all of us collectively."
The Saints (4-6) are on pace to allow the highest opponents' passer rating in NFL history (116.5), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They have allowed 14 touchdown passes over the past three weeks. And they are the first team in NFL history to allow four touchdown passes without an interception in three straight games.
Payton said his main message to players in a team meeting Monday was: "It wasn't gonna be the same when they got back. It was gonna be different. And it needs to be."
"We'll get that right, we'll get that right. It might take a little bit of time, and it might hurt going down for some people, but we'll get it squared away," Payton said.
Ryan, 52, had immediate success when he was hired as the Saints' defensive coordinator in 2013. He lifted the Saints to fourth in the NFL in total defense that year as they went 11-5 and won a playoff game.
But the Saints defense fell back to 31st in 2014 as the team went 7-9. It was almost an upset when Payton didn't fire Ryan after the season.
Payton said he liked Ryan's passion and work ethic, but he chafed at the constant assignment and alignment errors -- which have led to several sideline shouting matches.
Instead of firing Ryan, Payton demanded that the defensive coordinator simplify his complex playbook and weekly schemes. And Payton brought in senior assistant Dennis Allen to help lead the secondary.
The Saints overhauled much of their defensive roster, which includes three rookie starters, but the defense has been plagued by injuries.
Ryan, the son of former NFL coach Buddy Ryan and the twin brother of Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan, has been a defensive coordinator over the past 12 years with the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and Saints. He was fired after two years in Dallas with similar complaints about his playbook being too complicated.