Broncos HC Sean Payton reflects on “emotional” win over Saints on return to Superdome

Sean Payton made it a point to reach the Superdome well before a game he normally would — six hours before kickoff — so that his emotional return to a place where he coached at the home for a decade and a half would ease him could tackle. His return to New Orleans was enhanced by the fact that his current team, the Denver Broncos, won comfortably.

“Coming back here is different and very special,” Payton said.

“Being with this team and this ownership group – that’s why you miss it. A year off and you miss the relationships. You miss making memories. …Being with young people and having the chance to be part of their journey and coach them.” It's a pretty good job. Yes, it was kind of emotional.

Payton received the game ball from his team after the double-digit win, which he said “meant a lot” to him.

Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix passed for 164 yards and ran for 75 yards for Denver (4-3), which dominated statistically. The Broncos outgained the Saints by 389 yards to 271, handing New Orleans (2-5) its fifth straight loss. Broncos RB Javonte Williams scored twice and LB Cody Barton returned a fumble 52 yards for the 33-10 win.

“It was great. The Saints mean a lot to him. He was there for a while and had incredible success,” Nix said, matching Payton's franchise-high 152 regular-season wins with the Saints from 2006 to 2021 and his Super Bowl-winning season in 2009. “I'm happy for him.”

Denver's defense, which ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed, finished Thursday's game with six sacks.

At halftime, the Saints inducted former QB and 13-time Pro Bowler Drew Brees into the franchise Hall of Fame. Payton, Brees' head coach during his time with the Saints, said it's “always good” to see the legendary signal caller.

During Payton's tenure as head coach of the Saints (2006–21), they won Super Bowl XLIV, had nine 10-plus win seasons and reached the playoffs nine times. New Orleans posted a combined record of 152-89 in the regular season and 9-8 in the postseason during his 15-year tenure (excluding the 2012 NFL season, for which he was suspended).

Payton resigned as head coach after the 2021 season. He then returned to the sidelines in 2023 after the Broncos traded a first- and second-round draft pick to the Saints for Payton and a third-rounder.

The Broncos posted an 8-9 record in Payton's first season as head coach.

Denver and New Orleans are now going in opposite directions; The Broncos have won four of their last five games, while the Saints have lost five straight and are without veteran quarterback Derek Carr due to an oblique injury.

Payton's New Orleans teams have suffered just two home losses by 20 points or more, something the Saints have done twice in the last five days.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen – Payton's defensive coordinator in New Orleans – hugged his former colleague after the game. The 61-year-old Payton has now beaten all 32 NFL teams as a head coach.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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