Does Sean Payton expect different defense with Dan Quinn calling plays

Sean Payton and Dan Quinn are no strangers to one another. The Denver Broncos head coach was in New Orleans for 15 seasons as the Saints' head coach. For close to six years, Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and they were rivals of the Saints in the NFC South. Quinn's Falcons went 4-6 against Payton's Saints.

On Sunday night, Payton will face Quinn for the first time as the head coach of the Washington Commanders. Both teams are coming off a bye, but are in entirely different places. Denver has won eight consecutive games, while the Commanders have lost six in a row. The good news is that Washington is hopeful of getting some players back from injury, but quarterback Jayden Daniels will not be one of them. He's at least one week away from returning.

Not only will Payton and Quinn reignite an old rivalry, but Payton will call Denver's offensive plays against Quinn, who will call Washington's defensive plays. The Commanders made a change at defensive coordinator before Week 11, demoting Joe Whitt Jr. and having Quinn take over as the defensive play-caller. It's not a move Quinn wanted to make, but he had no choice due to Washington's defensive struggles.

What kind of adjustments has Payton made due to the Commanders' defensive coordinator change?

"We looked at all those numbers," Payton said Wednesday. "I know he just started calling, so we’ve looked at those. They’ve had some injuries. Really, honestly, going back to Dallas, the last two years in Dallas, and then his early years with their defensive coordinators calling plays, all the pressure percent, man percent, zone. They were like dead on. We look at all of it, then you look at the opponent they’re playing. Sometimes it might be an opponent-driven game plan. They do a number of things well. They do a good job disguising pressures, so that’s the key thing this week: making sure we have answers, much like a week ago. Different system, but with ‘Spags’ (Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo), there’s a lot you have to cover. I would say that’s the case this week."

Washington played arguably its best defensive game of the year under Quinn's play-calling two weeks ago. It's worth noting that Miami wasn't the same offensive team as some of the ones the Commanders faced in the weeks before.

Injuries have decimated Washington's season. The Commanders are thin at defensive end and cornerback, and face the Broncos' offensive line, which is one of the NFL's best. Can Washington keep it close enough to give the offense a chance to pull off the upset on Sunday Night Football?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Sean Payton on facing Dan Quinn's defense