The Thursday night NFL game between the Denver Broncos and the New Orleans Saints will be presented at 8 p.m. on RDS2 and at RDS.ca.
Sean Payton became synonymous with New Orleans during his decade and a half as head coach of the Saints, an era in which the club made the playoffs nine times and won its only Super Bowl.
The Broncos head coach, in his second season in Denver, will experience the Superdome in a new way Thursday night, starting with the walk from the team bus to the visitors’ locker room where he never set foot.
Although Payton has put down roots in New Orleans and still has a home downtown, he doesn’t expect a warm reception from fans when the desperate Saints (2-4) to end a four-game losing streak, will host the Broncos (3-3).
“I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of flowers thrown my way and I understand that,” admitted Payton, who with his 152 regular-season wins as Saints head coach holds a lead of 59 gains on his closest pursuer.
“There will certainly be emotions (on my side), given the time I spent there,” he added, however.
If the nostalgia associated with this game wasn’t already enough, quarterback Drew Brees will also be in attendance for his official induction into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Neither team can afford to be distracted by what happens off the field, however. Both teams lost last Sunday, both have key players injured and both have only had three days to prepare.
“Luckily it’s a short week because I haven’t had a lot of time to delve into anything else,” Payton said. What’s most important is finding a way to win. »
Saints head coach Dennis Allen spent 12 seasons on Payton’s staff including the last six as defensive coordinator before being promoted in 2022 when Payton stepped away from the field for a year .
For now, however, the return of his longtime friend and mentor is the last thing he wants to discuss.
“I don’t think we have to think about that right now,” said Allen, who is 18-22 as the Saints’ coach, without a playoff berth in his two-plus seasons at the helm. of the team.
“We need to focus on our football team and what we need to do to get better. »
After starting the campaign with two victories, the Saints are in a situation that has progressively worsened over the last two weeks with a 26-13 loss in Kansas City, against the Chiefs, and a 51-27 drubbing at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Saints also have a rookie at quarterback; Fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler due to Derek Carr’s oblique muscle injury.
And the Saints know how good Payton is at identifying and exploiting opponents’ weaknesses.
“Everyone in this building knows who Sean Payton is and if they see blood in the water, they’re going to try to take advantage of it,” warned Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan. This has always been his way of doing things. »
