With plenty of excitement heading into Thursday as the New Orleans Saints were playing former head coach Sean Payton and honoring legendary quarterback Drew Brees, Saints fans left the Caesar’s Superdome disappointed as the Denver Broncos delivered a 33-10 stomping.
The loss to Payton and the Broncos extended New Orleans’ losing streak to five games after winning the first two by gaudy scores.
While the Saints have been dealing with injury problems as of late – going into Thursday Night Football with nine starters out – the list got even longer as three more sustained injuries during the loss. Spencer Rattler, the rookie quarterback in his second start filling in for Derek Carr, showed inefficiency and lack of experience all night as the offense was lifeless all night.
Scoring summary
For the first three quarters, New Orleans did nothing offensively except punt five times, have one turnover, and convert a 35-yard field goal by kicker Blake Grupe. Not until the last series did the Saints bring in backup quarterback Jake Haener, who threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Cedric Wilson, Jr., with a little over a minute left to play.
Denver took the game over quickly. After the first series, the Broncos scored on four straight possessions: three field goals by former New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz and a touchdown run by running back Javonte Williams. Denver took a 16-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.
It only got worse for the Saints after halftime as the Broncos scored 10 points on their first two possessions as home fans began to clear the Superdome. Once Denver linebacker Cody Barton recovered a fumble and returned it for a 52-yard touchdown, the game was essentially over at 33-10. The garbage-time touchdown from Haener came after to make for a final score of 33-10 in the Broncos’ favor.
What the coach said
Even though tackling and injuries have been an issue for New Orleans, head coach Dennis Allen discussed with reporters after the game what he believes needs to be the first step toward improvement – getting better at the line of scrimmage.
“I think we are not winning football games at the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball. We just have to find a way to play better football,” Allen said. “I think coaches and players are making mistakes we shouldn’t be making. As coaches and players, we have to figure things out. I think it’s harder when you lose five games in a row.”
While Allen now has an 18-23 record since taking over for Payton, his successor spoke about what it was like coming back to New Orleans.
“It was hard coming back here because there were so many memories. I tried to downplay it best I could,” said Payton, who led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title in 2010. “And, I felt bad – New Orleans is nicked up.”
Numbers never lie
New Orleans allowed 389 total yards of offense, including 225 on the ground. Denver’s rookie quarterback Bo Nix had 174 yards passing and 75 yards rushing. Williams finished with 111 total yards on 17 touches with two touchdowns.
Rattler led the Saints with 206 total yards but no scores to show with two turnovers.
Honoring Drew Brees
During halftime, record-setting quarterback Drew Brees was honored on the field to mark his induction into the Saints Hall of Fame. New Orleans owner Gayle Benson presented Brees with a blazer while unveiling a portrait of the franchise’s all-time passing leader holding the Lombardi Trophy.
Earlier in the day, Brees was honored during a luncheon, which Payton attended. Payton coached him for 14 seasons as Brees went on to finish second in NFL history with 80,358 passing yards.
Next up
The New Orleans Saints will visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. CT.
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