October 18th 2024.
The highly anticipated game between the Broncos and New Orleans had been marked on the NFL calendar due to the history surrounding it. It brought back memories of Sean Payton's time with the Saints, where he achieved great success alongside quarterback Drew Brees and other talented players over a span of 15 years. As Denver arrived in the Bayou for a short stay, Payton couldn't help but feel the weight of those memories and stories flooding back to him.
But amidst the nostalgia, Payton also reminded himself to focus on the present and the memories being made now. And boy, did the Broncos give him something to add to his scrapbook on Thursday night. Their dominant 33-10 victory over New Orleans not only improved their record to 4-3, but it also helped erase the bitter taste of their loss to the Chargers on Sunday. For Payton, it was a chance to take a step back and appreciate the Superdome scene, not just for what it once was, but for what it is now.
He reflected on his first chapter as a head coach with the Saints and his second with the Broncos. "I came over here early just to get started going through the game plan again," Payton shared. He had slept in late after a short week of preparation, but he couldn't resist briefly crashing Drew Brees' Hall of Fame ceremony at a nearby hotel. "It meant a lot because there were a lot of moments here. And you get a chance to see old players that are here."
After the game, Payton sought out some of his former players and coaching staff members, giving particularly big hugs to long-time Saints Alvin Kamara and Cam Jordan. Then he retreated to the cramped visiting locker room, where Broncos CEO Greg Penner presented him with a game ball. "To be here with this team and this ownership group, it's the reason you miss it," Payton admitted. After resigning as the Saints' head coach in 2021 and spending a year doing television work, he was hired by the Broncos in 2022. "The one year out, you miss relationships and you miss making memories."
He also took a moment to remind his team not to take these times for granted, using All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II's 100-yard interception return touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 as an example. "There will be a day when I don't remember his name and I'm having applesauce out of a straw, but I'll remember that play," Payton joked. "And that part of it, being around young people and having a chance to be part of their journey and coach them, is a pretty good job."
As he reflected on the game, Payton couldn't help but get a little emotional. He mentioned that the win over the Saints now gave him victories over all 32 NFL teams. When asked if that meant he was just getting old, Payton jokingly replied, "It means you had two jobs." But then he added with a hint of sentimentality, "I'm glad I'm here." Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.
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