Broncos vs. Saints: Sean Payton's Emotional Homecoming In New Orleans

Thursday night marks the much anticipated return of Sean Payton back in New Orleans.

Sep 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton looks on from the sidelines during the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Tonight's game at Caesars Superdome will be a bittersweet return for former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. It will be the first time the current Denver Broncos coach appears as an opponent since stepping down in January 2022. On Monday, Payton acknowledged the emotions connected with returning to where he built a Super Bowl-winning team.

"It will be unique," Payton said of returning to New Orleans. "Certainly, there will be emotions going back there with players, but I do think that comes up quite a bit in our league. With players and in this case certainly the amount of time I was there, I understand it. We have to deal with the crowd noise. That place is loud, and you guys know that. Fortunately, it's a short week because I haven't had a chance to dive into all the other stuff." His anticipation for the game was palpable, adding an element of intrigue to the upcoming match.

Jan 25, 2022; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton speaks during a press conference at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images / Andrew Wevers-Imagn Images

Despite his significant contributions to the Saints, Payton humbly acknowledged that he does not anticipate receiving a very warm welcome. "I don't think there's going to be a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly, and I get it," he said, showing his understanding of the fans' mixed feelings.

Despite Payton being the winningest coach in team history with 152 wins, a Coach of the Year Award in 2006, and helping guide the franchise to its only Super Bowl win in 2010, many fans still have a sour taste in their mouths because Payton quickly left "retirement" to join the Broncos at the beginning of the 2023 season. Some felt betrayed that after 16 seasons coaching the Saints, just one year away from coaching gave him the itch to return and coach another team.

No one can deny his impact on this organization and fanbase during his tenure. He is regarded as one of the greatest offensive minds in the game, and he proved that year in and year out in New Orleans.  

Oct 8, 2018; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) celebrates with Saints head coach Sean Payton (right) after setting the all-time NFL passing yardage mark against the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK / The Advertiser-USA TODAY NETWORK

According to Elias Sports Bureau research, Payton and the Saints rank first in NFL history for average points scored (27.6 per game) and yards gained (391.2 per game) among all coach-team combos with at least five seasons.

He and Drew Brees engineered one of the league's top offenses for over a decade. In the 38 years before Payton's arrival in New Orleans, the Saints had only five double-digit win seasons in franchise history.  

Under Payton, that number was nine, including a 9-8 playoff mark. New Orleans had only won one playoff game in 38 years before he came aboard.

Now, the Saints face Payton as an opponent for the first time since he left. New Orleans is in dire need of a victory after losing its fourth straight game on Sunday.  

With so much winning that Payton conjured in the Superdome, the Saints are hopeful they will give him a loss on Thursday to help turn their season around.

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