Broncos’ Sean Payton wasn’t expecting “flowers and warm fuzzies” to return to New Orleans

The Broncos will play the New Orleans Saints on the road Thursday night marking coach Sean Payton’s return to the city where he coached for 16 years.

It will be a night at Caesars Superdome honoring Payton quarterback Drew Brees, who will be officially inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame. The coach believes this is where most of the celebration energy will go.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for your truth,” Payton said, “and I understand that.”

Payton figures to be recognized Thursday, at least somewhat, by the franchise he helped advance to its first Super Bowl in 2009. There will be excitement not just for Payton, but for a dozen coaches as well. , players and staff. members who previously worked for the Saints when they return. When Amazon ran promotions last week for Thursday’s game, it included a photo overlay of Payton representing the Broncos (3-3) alongside Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (2-4). It’s a rare editorial choice for a broadcast, but one that underscores the obvious subplot of a critical game for both teams.

Sean Payton and Drew Brees celebrate the Saints winning Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. (Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

“Look, it’s going to be unique,” Payton said. “One of the things we talk about with our players is trying to get everything done ahead of time. I’ve got a great wife who (has) the tickets done with, my family and my kids. The people who surround knows how difficult it is a short week compared to if it was a full week. There’s definitely going to be emotions with the players. But I think that happens a lot in our league with players and in this case the amount of time I was there, I understand.”

Payton said one of the benefits of the short week is that he doesn’t have time to focus on extracurricular activities surrounding Thursday’s game. The Broncos suffered a 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in which Denver went scoreless at halftime for the third time this season. He’s focused on resurrecting an offense that has rarely found a consistent rhythm through the first six weeks of the season.

Payton said he has already reached out and congratulated Brees, telling him that his honor Thursday night will be “the first of many.” The duo was instrumental in creating some of the best offenses in the NFL from 2006 until Brees retired after the 2020 season. Now, however, Payton faces the challenge of resurrecting his current offense in Denver, which ranks 28th in offensive points scored per game (16.8), 29th in yards per game (278.2) and 26th in yards per game (4.7).

That has made it easier for Payton, who spent a year without coaching after walking away from the Saints at the end of the 2021 season, to avoid lingering thoughts about what the lead-up to Thursday night’s kickoff will look like.

“Man, it’s about the game. It’s about the win,” Payton said. “It’s about the importance of playing our best football in a short week. It’s about our team. I will address it with them (Tuesday) morning. “Hey, we understand the importance of getting our fourth win. That’s No. 1. So go from there.”

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The game will feature the first rookie quarterback matchup in the NFL this season: Bo Nix against Spencer Rattler, the fifth-round pick who made his first NFL start in the Saints’ 51-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. Rattler went 22-for-40 for 243 yards and threw his first touchdown pass to fellow rookie fifth-rounder Bub Means in the second quarter. But Rattler was also intercepted twice and sacked five times.

Nix has a five-game experience advantage over the Rattlers, but has largely been unable to create a consistent rhythm within Denver’s offense in the first halves of games. In Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, Nix was 4-for-14 for 27 yards through the first three quarters before finally finding a rhythm against the tight end in the final period. Payton noted that teams with halftime leads in Thursday night games are more likely to hang on and win those games than those with halftime leads in Sunday contests, crystallizing the importance of creating an early offense.

“It’s good that we get to play in four days,” Nix said after Sunday’s loss. “It will be difficult for us, but we have a quick turnaround. I think we will handle it well and we have no choice. We have to move forward again, and we have to grow and improve.”

Payton allowed that adding more of the up-tempo offense that led to a fourth-quarter breakthrough Sunday could be on the table.

“Every team you play, you meet as a staff and talk about how we want the game to go,” Payton said. “So plan accordingly. But that’s not out of the question. A lot of it is, ‘What are you trying to achieve when you do that?’ the speed of the pass. I think it would be something that would be based on a game plan.”

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Payton will be in an unfamiliar position battling the noise inside the Caesars Superdome instead of riding behind it. He has no doubt that the environment will be paid. Dealing with that will be another challenge for the Broncos as they try to face a long weekend with a winning record.

“Listen, I can’t stand to lose,” Payton said. “So it’s about our team and me as head coach of the Broncos getting ready to play an early week and try to play one of our best games.”

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(Top photo: Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images)