Sean Payton is closely associated with New Orleans after spending 15 years as the Saints coach. During his time, the team made the playoffs nine times and won its only Super Bowl.
Now, as the second-year coach of the Denver Broncos, Payton will experience the Superdome differently on Thursday night. He will start with the walk from the team bus to a visitor’s locker room he has never been in before.
Although Payton became a big part of New Orleans culture and still has a home in the city, he doesn’t expect a warm welcome when the struggling Saints (2-4) host the Broncos (3-3), who are eager to win after losing four straight games.
“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly — and I get it,” Payton said. He has the most regular-season coaching wins (152) in Saints history, which is 59 more than any other coach.
He also mentioned, “Certainly, there will be emotions going back there, with the amount of time I was there.”
Adding to the nostalgia of the game, former record-setting quarterback Drew Brees will be there for his official induction into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Both teams, however, must focus on the game itself. Each lost on Sunday, has important players injured, and has just three days to prepare.
“It’s fortunate that it’s a short week, because I haven’t had a lot of time to dive into the other stuff,” Payton said. “I get it, but what’s most important is finding a way to win.”
Saints coach Dennis Allen worked on Payton’s staff for 12 seasons, including the last six as the defensive coordinator before being promoted in 2022, when Payton took a year off from coaching.
Right now, the return of his longtime friend and mentor is the last thing he wants to talk about.
“I don’t think that’s where our focus needs to be,” said Allen, who has a record of 18-22 as the Saints coach and hasn’t made the playoffs in his two-plus seasons. “Our focus needs to be on our football team and what we need to do to improve.”
Since starting the season with two big wins, the Saints have struggled, getting worse over the past two weeks with a 26-13 loss at Kansas City and a 51-27 defeat at home against Tampa Bay.
New Orleans is also using a rookie quarterback; fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler has stepped in because of Derek Carr’s oblique injury.
The Saints are aware of how skilled Payton is at spotting and taking advantage of opponents’ weaknesses.
“Everybody in this building knows who Sean Payton is, and if he sees blood in the water, he’s going to go try and take advantage,” Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “That’s always been his M.O. So, we’re not helping to deter that at this point with that last game that we just put on.”
