NFL Matchups: All-Time Series History Between The New Orleans Saints And The Denver Broncos

A Week 7 clash between the Saints and Broncos doesn't offer much history on the field, but plenty of coaching ties between the two franchises.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Saints play in front of their second prime-time audience in three games when they host the Denver Broncos in Week 7 of the NFL regular season. This contest will kick off Week 7 on Thursday Night Football. It will also be the only time that the Saints host a prime-time matchup this season.

New Orleans, established in 1967, played their first three years in the NFL and have been in the NFC since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. The Saints are coming off a 9-8 season in 2023. They finished tied for first in the NFC South standings but lost out on crucial tiebreakers to miss out on the postseason for a third consecutive season.

Denver began play in 1964. They have been in the AFC West since the 1970 merger. The Broncos are coming off an 8-9 finish last season. It marked their eighth consecutive year without a playoff berth, with five of those seasons ending in double-digit losses.

This will be just the 13th all-time meeting between the Broncos and Saints. These teams last met in 2020. Their last matchup against each other in New Orleans took place in 2016.

Saints vs. Broncos Series History

• 3-9 all-time record
• 1-4 at home

New Orleans Saints running back Rueben Mayes (36) picks up yardage against the Denver Broncos in a 1988 victory / nosaintshistory.com

The first time these franchises met was in 1970, the first year of the AFC and NFC conferences for the new NFL. It was a home game for the Saints, who then played in Tulane Stadium. New Orleans jumped out to a 6-0 lead thanks to two Tom Dempsey first quarter field goals. It would be the last thing to go right for the home team all day, as the Broncos scored 31 unanswered points on their way to a 31-6 win.

Denver and New Orleans would play three more times in 1974, 1979, and 1985. All three games were in Denver, with the Broncos winning in each instance. They wouldn't meet again in New Orleans until the 1988 season, this time in the Louisiana Superdome.

On November 20, 1988, the Saints faced the two-time defending AFC champion Broncos. New Orleans routed Denver by a 42-0 score, getting their first win over Denver in five tries. Broncos QB John Elway was harassed all afternoon by the Saints defense, who also got 115 yards on the ground from RB Rueben Mayes in the resounding win. It would also be the only time that the Saints have defeated the Broncos when facing them at home.

Four years later, in the season finale of the 1994 season, the Saints would record their first victory over the Broncos in Denver. New Orleans QB Jim Everett threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns, with 200 yards and two scores going to WR Torrance Small. Meanwhile, the Saints defense recorded four sacks and forced four turnovers in what would be a 30-28 victory.

That would be the final game for Wade Phillips as Denver's head coach after two seasons at the helm. Phillips had also been the New Orleans defensive coordinator from 1981 to 1985 and interim head coach for the Saints in the final four games of the 1985 campaign.

Oct 28 2012; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prepares to throw against the Denver Broncos / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints and Broncos wouldn't face off again in New Orleans until the 2000 campaign. Both teams had outstanding offenses that season that were on display during the game. Saints QB Aaron Brooks threw for 441 yards, connecting with wideouts Joe Horn and Robert Wilson a combined 18 times for 292 yards.

The Broncos countered with bruising RB Mike Anderson, who rushed for a then-rookie record 251 yards and three touchdowns. That, along with three costly New Orleans turnovers and just 21 total rushing yards, proved to be the difference in a 38-23 Broncos win.

Denver would also go on to win the next four matchups between these teams in 2004 in New Orleans, 2008 and 2012 in Denver, and 2016 in New Orleans. Saints QB Drew Brees threw for a combined 634 yards against the Broncos in 2008 and 2012, but it wasn't enough to overcome poor defensive efforts by New Orleans in either game. The 2012 contest, played on a Sunday night, has been the only time these teams have met in a prime-time matchup.

Nov 29, 2020; Denver Broncos linebacker Malik Reed (59) chases Taysom Hill (7) of the New Orleans Saints / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The last time the Saints hosted Denver was midway through the 2016 season. Denver's head coach was Gary Kubiak, father of new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. It was a back and forth affair all afternoon until the Broncos, defending Super Bowl 50 champions, took a 23-17 lead with less than three minutes remaining.

Saints QB Drew Brees threw for 303 yards that afternoon. He led his team on a 75-yard touchdown drive in the final moments, completing three of four passes for 67 yards and a scoring toss to WR Brandin Cooks to tie the game.

Incredibly, what would have been the game-winning point after kick by New Orleans K Wil Lutz, now currently with the Broncos, was blocked. Even more incredibly, the blocked kick was returned by Denver S Will Parks for a two-point conversion to ultimately give the Broncos a 25-23 victory in the final minute. Parks had clearly stepped out of bounds on the return, but officials refused to overturn a replay review in what would be a costly loss for the Saints.

These teams last met during the 2020 season. The game was played in Denver, with the Broncos forced to play a practice squad wide receiver at quarterback because of Covid exposure to their top three signal callers. The Saints won easily by a 31-3 margin. New Orleans rolled up 229 yards rushing on the day while forcing three turnovers and holding Denver to just one pass completion for 13 yards.

Coaching History

Nov 13, 2016; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) looks to throw against the Denver Broncos / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

There haven't been many significant players to have suited up for both the Broncos and Saints over the years. Coaching has been a different story. Wade Phillips was mentioned above. Vic Fangio, a defensive assistant for New Orleans from 1986 to 1994 and one of the architects of the Dome Patrol, would be a Broncos head coach from 2019 to 2021.

Jack Del Rio, who began his NFL playing career as a linebacker with New Orleans, would be a defensive coordinator for the Broncos from 2012 to 2014. Del Rio succeeded Dennis Allen at that position, and would later succeed Allen as head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2015.

Allen had been a defensive backs coach for the Saints from 2006 to 2010 before becoming Denver's defensive coordinator in 2011. He'd eventually return to the Saints as defensive coordinator in 2015 and is in his third season as New Orleans head coach.

Klint Kubiak enters his first season as offensive coordinator for the Saints. Gary Kubiak, his father, was a backup quarterback, offensive coordinator, and head coach for the Broncos over 23 years. Klint was also an offensive assistant for the Broncos from 2016 to 2018. With him on that staff was Joe Woods, currently the defensive coordinator for the Saints.

Coach Sean Payton looks on from the Denver Broncos sideline during the 2023 season / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Obviously, the biggest coaching link between these two franchises, and the main reason the NFL scheduled this to be a prime-time matchup, will be standing on the Denver sidelines this season. Sean Payton is in his second season as the Denver Broncos head coach. Payton spent 15 years in charge of the Saints, compiling a 152-89 regular season record between 2006 and 2021. He took New Orleans to the playoffs nine times, including three conference championship appearances and a Super Bowl XLIV title.

By far the best coach in Saints franchise history, Payton and Brees combined to create some historically productive offenses and made New Orleans into perennial contenders. He'd resign after the 2021 season and, after one year out of coaching, had his rights traded to Denver for a return to the sideline.

Payton won't be the only familiar face to New Orleans fans on the Denver sideline. Joining the coach will be former Saints assistants Joe Lombardi, Pete Carmichael, Zach Strief, John Morton, Joe Vitt, Michael Wilhoite, Declan Doyle, Mike Westoff, and Chris Banjo.

Sean Payton versus his former team in their building. It's a storyline that will likely surpass any matchup that's taking place on the field in this Thursday Night clash.