The Broncos defeated the Saints in week 7 Thursday night football, as Sean Payton enjoyed success on his return to New Orleans against a lackluster side.
Sean Payton Back In NO With A Win
The Broncos emerged victorious over a depleted Saints team on Thursday night football this week in a game that was decided before halftime, with Bo Nix triumphing in the battle of the rookie quarterbacks.
Nix threw for 164 yards on 16 completions this week, without any touchdowns in a game dominated by field goals. Despite this, the Broncos secured a 23-point victory, with Will Lutz successfully kicking all four field goals, the longest being from 52 yards.
Thursday’s win marked Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans in an NFL game since his departure in 2021. The head coach, the most successful in Saints history, expressed relief at emerging victorious in his return to the Superdome, receiving a game ball after an emotional win.
“It meant a lot,” Payton said. “Fortunately, and I say this respectfully, it was just two days of prep and we’re here. So, not a lot of sleep. It kind of keeps your mind off of it because there are so many things that you have to get done. My big concern was just not having enough rest and so I slept today for a while and then came over here early just to get started going through the game plan again.
.@SeanPayton finding his former players on the field postgame 🧡 @A_kamara6 | @camjordan94 pic.com/GBGDrzoPhP
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2024
“But it meant a lot, because there were a lot of moments here and you get a chance to see old players that are here.”
The Broncos improved their record to above .500 with their victory on Thursday and are set to face the Panthers in week 8 as they strive to enhance their 4-3 record this season.
Saints Booed Off The Field
While Bo Nix was named as Denver’s starting quarterback this season, Spencer Rattler of the Saints was thrust into the position following Derek Carr’s injury in week 5.
Not only Carr, but star wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are also sidelined with injuries for New Orleans. These injuries were evident on the field this week, prompting fans to leave the Superdome early in week 7, with some choosing to boo as they exited.
Alvin Kamara, unable to ignore the plight of the Saints fans, admitted that he would have left early too if he were watching the game.
“I’ve been here eight years and I’ve never seen the Dome clear out like that. If I was a fan, I would leave too. Just being honest. It’s just people fed up.”
Alvin Kamara on fans leaving the Dome early
📺: video link pic.com/jkNOknxEOs
— NOF (@nofnetwork) October 18, 2024
Kamara continued to struggle for the third consecutive week, with injuries to his teammates taking a toll after a strong start to the season. The Saints will face the Chargers in the upcoming week, hoping for positive news on Olave, while Shaheed and Carr have already been ruled out for week 8.
