The Denver Broncos are still licking their wounds following a tough home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, but they can't hang their heads for too long as they have a quick turnaround this week, playing on Thursday Night Football.
That game will be on the road against the New Orleans Saints. That means Sean Payton will be back to coach against the team he coached for 15 seasons, leading them to their only Super Bowl. When the 2024 NFL schedule was released, this was a game many NFL fans circled on their calendar.
For the first time this season, the Broncos will be under the lights of primetime television. They will be facing a Saints team that has lost four games in a row and is desperate to get back in the win column.
Payton was asked about returning to New Orleans on Monday.
"Certainly, there will be emotions going back there with players, but I do think that comes up quite a bit in our league. With players — and, in this case, certainly the amount of time I was there — I understand."
"It's about the game. "It's about [getting] the win. The significance of us playing our best football on a short week, and it's about our team. I'll address that with them tomorrow morning and [say], 'Hey, let's understand the significance of getting our fourth win.' I think that's the number one thing, and then go from there."
As is the case whenever this situation comes up with players and coaches, that player or coach doesn't give too much in terms of how they feel going back. It's always a business-like, team-first response and that's what we got here from Payton.
The broadcast on Thursday night will make a big deal of it, however. Payton took over a franchise that only had one playoff win in its history prior to his arrival. He made the Saints a perennial Super Bowl contender and will forever be remembered for his time in New Orleans.
But those days have passed and Payton will now have to turn his focus to getting the Broncos their fourth win of the season while sending the Saints to a fifth loss in a row and quite likely having to do it without his best defensive player in Pat Surtain II.
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