3 head coaches the Broncos could have hired instead of Sean Payton

1. Dan Quinn may have avoided a dumpster fire by staying put in Dallas

The fact Dan Quinn is back in Dallas as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator is shocking to say the least. While he bombed in the latter part of his tenure as the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Quinn is flourishing in his current role in Dallas. He had been up for coaching gigs the two previous cycles, including the last two hirings the Broncos made with Nathaniel Hackett and Payton.

There are things I liked about Quinn in Atlanta, and there were things I hated. In terms of what I liked, his players seemed to love playing for him. He always seemed to have a good eye for coaching talent around him. And lastly, he could his players to buy in ... when they were winning. And therein lies the problem. Once he lost momentum after the Super Bowl 51 defeat, his cliched schtick wasn't sticking.

Ultimately, for any of Quinn's perceived shortcomings as a head coach, he is still worthy of a second stab at being in the big chair. Even though Payton's Broncos proved victorious for the first time this season, that win came on the road vs. Justin Fields, Matt Eberflus and the usually toothless Chicago Bears. Payton may still be able to turn this thing around, but Quinn could have been their guy in 2022.

How the Broncos play over the next month will signify if they are capable of turning this thing around.