3 Convincing Takeaways from Broncos' 33-10 Saints Beatdown

What did we learn about the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football?

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton reacts during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

What a homecoming for Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who returned to Caesars Superdome for the first time since the New Orleans Saints traded him to the Mile High City. Payton squared off against his former defensive coordinator in Saints head coach Dennis Allen on the same night New Orleans inducted Super Bowl-winning quarterback Drew Brees into the team’s Hall of Fame. 

Former Denver head coach Gary Kubiak's son, Klint, called the offensive plays for New Orleans, furthering the ever-growing Broncos-Saints connections. In the first of two primetime games this season, the Broncos demonstrated they could pull themselves off the canvas and come together to rally on a short week, defeating the Saints handily, 33-10.

Denver leaves the Big Easy with a 4-3 record and is one game above .500 for the second time this season. The Broncos can now enjoy their ‘mini-bye' before hosting the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 on October 27. 

Meanwhile, the 2-5 Saints continue their downward spiral. The Broncos embarrassed the Saints on Thursday Night Football, extending their losing streak to five straight games. But before anyone gets too high on their horse, this was just the second time this season that the Broncos scored more than 30 points in a game.

The Broncos have much to be happy about flying back to the Mile High City with a well-deserved victory for their fiery and demonstrative head coach. But what did we learn from Week 7's triumph?

Let’s review my three glaring takeaways from Denver’s fourth win of the season. 

Payton Gets Last Laugh

One of my keys to a Broncos win in Payton’s return to New Orleans prioritized the veteran coach’s ability to demonstrate patience and poise against his former team. That’s exactly what happened as Payton donned a Broncos hoodie with cut sleeves, channeling a nostalgic NFL head coach look from the mid-2000s.

Payton showed a variety of new wrinkles in his offense, featuring Marvin Mims Jr. as both a ball-carrier and receiver and utilizing the tight end position in the passing game with Lucas Krull. Mims has been largely ineffective and primarily used as a return specialist, but he took multiple snaps from the offensive backfield, like San Francisco 49ers’ Deebo Samuel, only without the touchdowns and yardage. Krull was Denver’s second-leading receiver with three receptions for 41 yards on four targets with a long of 23 yards. 

But it was the Broncos offensive line that set the pace in this game, with the surprise return of right tackle Mike McGlinchey fresh off of injured reserve. In fact, Denver’s O-line had four of five starters in the game and posted 225 rushing yards, averaging 6.4 yards per play on the ground and refusing to give up a single sack.

Starting running back Javonte Williams must’ve heard enough from me and the boo birds, silencing all of his recent critics with an 88-yard rushing performance on 14 attempts with two touchdowns. In fact, four of the Broncos' ball-carriers averaged above five yards per carry, with quarterback Bo Nix, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime also contributing to Denver’s ground attack.

While there was plenty of room for improvement for a Denver squad that’s fortunate to be in its current position, Payton could’ve easily made this game all about him. Instead, he furthered the development of his rookie quarterback and budding football team that continues to garner league wide attention. 

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Nix Outclasses Rattler

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton greets New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler (18) after the Broncos defeated the Saints at Caesars Superdome. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

For the first time in the 2024 regular season, two rookie QBs squared off on primetime with Nix (No. 12 overall pick in the draft) and Spencer Rattler (No. 150). Rattler filled in for the injured Derek Carr in his second career start, and was swimming for most of the game due to Denver’s ferocious attack.

The 24-year-old Saints rookie finished the day 25-for-35 with 172 yards and two fumbles. Another one of my keys to a Denver win this week zeroed in on Rattler's turnover-prone nature, especially when pressured and bothered by QB hits and sacks. 

For the Broncos, Nix began the game with a severe case of happy feet and was not stepping into his throws. He missed wide-open teammates with under and overthrown passes before earning first downs and yardage on the ground. He finished the game as Denver’s second-leading rusher with 75 yards on 10 attempts, with a long run of 32 yards. 

In the passing game, the first-year team captain was 16-for-26 for 164 yards without any turnovers. Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu nearly had a pick when Nix threw the ball right to him in the first half, before dropping the would be turnover to the relief of Broncos Country. 

It was an odd day for a Broncos receiving corps led by fellow rookie Troy Franklin, who finished with a team-high five receptions for 50 yards. Payton’s offense saw just six players with at least one catch, while team captain and veteran wideout Courtland Sutton was rendered stat-less.

Still, the Broncos offense dominated the time of possession by over seven minutes and was 2-for-3 in the red zone and 2-for-2 in Goal-to-Go scenarios. Denver even scored points on six straight possessions: four field goals and two touchdowns. 

Not bad for Nix’s first primetime action as an NFL quarterback.

A Defensive Strength in Numbers Sans PS2

Oct 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Cody Barton (55), right, celebrates running back an interception for a touchdown against New Orleans Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler with a duck, duck, goose celebration with his teammates during the fourth quarter at Caesars Superdome. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

When cornerback Patrick Surtain II exited last Sunday’s game with a concussion on the first defensive snap, the wind was stolen from the Broncos' sails. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph was less aggressive with his blitz packages and leaned on a flexible and soft-shell coverage that was uncharacteristically soft and vulnerable. 

But that wouldn’t be the case in the Bayou, as the Broncos recorded two takeaways and allowed just one touchdown the entire game. The Saints offense averaged just 4.1 yards per play, while sacking Rattler six times and forcing two fumbles.

This was also the fifth-straight game that rush linebacker Nik Bonitto recorded a sack. The Broncos defense is now credited with 28 sacks through its first seven games of action. Denver’s latest outing featured seven separate players in the sack category against an abysmal New Orleans offense. 

Linebacker Cody Barton played like a defensive madman, with six tackles, one sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. In his Broncos debut, Kwon Alexander recovered a fumble. 

The Broncos defense dominated the Saints for the entirety of the game, and it was never close. Joseph’s punishing unit limited the New Orleans run game to just 97 yards, forcing the team to punt the ball six times in a lopsided matchup. 

The Saints’ only touchdown came in garbage time with six minutes to go in the fourth quarter as third-string quarterback Jake Haener completed a 12-yard pass to wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr. Saints fans were demoralized for most of the game, while the Broncos enjoyed being on the winning end of a very one-sided affair.

What a relief it is to know that the Broncos defense can survive a football game without their best player. That being said, let’s hope the Broncos defense can heal, rest, and return to action as a collective unit of healthy players with momentum and a winning record on their side in Week 8.

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