Welcome to the league, rookie. The Saints’ Spencer Rattler, pictured getting sacked by the Broncos’ John Franklin-Myers, couldn’t get New Orleans into the end zone as a starter on Thursday night. (Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)
On Thursday night, Sean Payton was back on the sideline at the Caesars Superdome. Drew Brees was honored at halftime as he entered the New Orleans Saints’ Hall of Fame.
That’s what made the game itself so depressing for Saints fans. It was a reminder of exactly how far the team has fallen since the glory days of Payton and Brees.
The Broncos weren’t all that good, the Saints were just worse. Some of that was out of the Saints’ control. They were without many key players due to injury, including quarterback Derek Carr and top receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler did his best but he was a fifth-round draft pick for a reason. The Saints struggled to move the ball and sustain drives all night.
New Orleans started 2-0 but has lost five straight since then. The past two losses have been embarrassing, for different reasons. Last week the defense got completely run over by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 51-27 defeat. On Thursday, it was a loss to a coach and franchise icon whom the Saints traded away to Denver in the 2023 offseason.
The Saints haven’t lost back-to-back home games by 20 or more points since 2001, according to NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno. They lost two home games by 20 or more during the entire 15-year Payton era.
All of it can’t sit too well with Saints ownership, which has to be getting impatient with head coach Dennis Allen. His future, and whether he can survive another embarrassing home loss, will be a big topic of conversation after Thursday night.
Saints struggle again on Thursday night
The game was ugly, and one perplexing decision had to have fans searching for the remote. At the end of the first half, the Saints called a timeout with four seconds left. Then they took a knee to run out the rest of the clock.
Neither team put on much of a show. The Broncos were good enough to get a win, at least. They’re 4-3 this season, which is a testament to Payton’s coaching.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been up and down this season, and he was inconsistent from play to play on Thursday. He had a viral highlight when he somehow overthrew one wide open receiver and underthrew another on the same play.
Nix did some things well though. He had 134 yards passing and 41 yards rushing in the first half. The Broncos weren’t good in the red zone and kept settling for field goals, but that was still good enough for a 16-3 lead at halftime. Denver keeps getting wins as Payton gets the most out of his roster. Saints fans know all about that.
After Brees’ halftime ceremony, there wasn’t a lot of noise from the Saints fans who stuck around. There wasn’t much reason for excitement for the rest of the game, and there isn’t much for the rest of the season either.
Saints’ fall continues
The Saints looked very good to start the season. They were 2-0 with a couple of high-scoring blowout wins. As it turned out the defenses of the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, their first two opponents, aren’t very good.
Since then the Saints have posted five straight losses. Injuries have been a big reason, but not the only reason. It’s hard to blame injuries, most of which have taken place on the offensive side, for the effort of the defense the past couple games.
The Broncos didn’t need to do much in the second half but run the ball. The holes for the running backs were massive. Getting hammered on the ground for a second straight week wasn’t a good look for the Saints and it certainly didn’t reflect well on Allen.
The Saints are a mess on both sides of the ball. Seeing their former coach come to New Orleans and post an easy win won’t sit well with anyone.
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Broncos fans show up in New Orleans
FINAL: Broncos 33, Saints 10
This was a pretty ugly one, folks. The Saints scored a touchdown in the final two minutes, but were never in this game. The Broncos didn’t play great, but they also didn’t have to.
But fans got to honor Saints legend Drew Brees as he went into the team’s Hall of Fame.
Final stats
Total offense
Broncos 389, Saints 271
Denver
Bo Nix 16-for-26, 164 yards
Javonte Williams 14 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD
Troy Franklin 5 receptions, 50 yards
New Orleans
Spencer Rattler 25-for-35, 172 yards, 2 lost fumbles
Jake Haener 3-for-4, 38 yards, 1 TD
Kendre Miller 6 rushes, 36 yards
Cedrick Wilson Jr. 6 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD
Jarrett Stidham in to take 2 knees
Jarrett Stidham comes in to finish out the game for the Broncos, kneeling twice.
And it’s a final: Broncos 33, Saints 10.
TOUCHDOWN, Saints
New Orleans finally finds the end zone with 1:22 remaining in the game.
Jake Haener hits Cedrick Wilson Jr. for a 12-yard score, finishing off a 11-play, 79-yard drive.
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit wonder what the Saints’ quarterback situation will be next week. Haener got the ball out more quickly and decisively — albeit when the game was out of reach — and got the offense into the end zone.
Jake Haener in at QB for Saints
Six sacks and two minutes remaining is apparently enough for Spencer Rattler.
Jake Haener takes over at quarterback for New Orleans. Amazon’s replay shows that Rattler may have hurt his ribs after fumbling on the Saints’ last drive.
This Cody Barton fumble return TD counts
Spencer Rattler fumbles again on another sack. Cody Barton picks up the fumble and runs it back 52 yards for a touchdown. No penalty this time. This touchdown stands.
Rattler has been sacked six times tonight. Justin Strnad and Ja’Quan McMillian got him on this drive.
Broncos 33, Saints 3 after the extra point kick.
Javonte Williams, 111 yards of total offense
Javonte Williams is up to 88 yards rushing after getting 27 yards on two carries. He also has 23 yards receiving on three catches.
Spencer Rattler sacked 4 times tonight
Spencer Rattler is sacked twice on this drive. The first by Nik Bonitto, the second by Jonah Elliss and Zach Allen.
Saints have to punt from their 40-yard line.
Rattler has been sacked four times tonight.
Courtland Sutton, zero targets
This came up at halftime, but Courtland Sutton hasn’t gotten any targets tonight for the Broncos. We’re now through three quarters.
Amazon’s Kaylee Hartung reports that Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not return to the game. He went to the medical tent to check on a hamstring injury and is done for the night.
End of 3rd quarter: Broncos 26, Saints 3
Denver has the ball to end the third quarter, getting a 14-yard pass from Bo Nix to Devaughn Vele, followed by a 10-yard run by Jaleel McLaughlin.
That’s the end of the third quarter with the Broncos leading, 26-
Saints hurt themselves with penalties
A promising drive for the Saints hits a bump on a holding penalty by Foster Moreau, followed by a false start penalty on Landon Young.
Spencer Rattler then completed his next two passes for 18 yards. But a sack by John Franklin-Myers at the Saints’ 33-yard line results in a six-yard loss.
Rattler follows that up with a 14-yard pass to Bub Means, but the hole is too deep to dig out from and New Orleans has to punt.
TOUCHDOWN, Broncos
On their second possession of the second half, the Broncos score a touchdown. Javonte Williams’ five-yard TD run finishes off a five-play, 69-yard drive.
Bo Nix’s 32-yard run highlighted the drive. He has 73 yards rushing, while Williams has 81 on the ground.
Broncos increase their lead to 26–3.
Field goal: Broncos 19, Saints 3
The Broncos get two strong runs on their opening drive of the second half: A 13-yard rush by Javonte Williams and a 25-yard dash by Jaleel McLaughlin.
But Denver can’t get any closer than the New Orleans’ 20-yard line and settles for Wil Lutz’s fourth field goal of the game, His 38-yard kick is good.
Saints go 3-and-out to open 2nd half
New Orleans clearly wasn’t paying attention to Drew Brees’ halftime chant to fire up the crowd. The Saints go 3-and-out on their first possession of the second half.
Drew Brees’ signature chant
Drew Brees led the Caesars Superdome in one of his signature pregame chants during the halftime ceremony inducting him into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Saints fans are hoping to have more to cheer about in the second half. They get the ball to begin the third quarter.
Drew Brees goes into the Saints Hall of Fame
Saints fans haven’t had much to cheer about so far. But they get to watch Drew Brees be inducted into the Saints’ Hall of Fame at halftime in Caesars Superdome.
Halftime: Broncos 16, Saints 3
It hasn’t been a spectacular “Thursday Night Football” matchup, but Sean Payton has the lead with his new team over his former team. The Broncos hold a 16–3 lead over the Saints.