Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos ran over the New Orleans Saints in a 33-10 Thursday Night Football victory to kick off Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season on Oct. 17.
The game marked Payton’s return to New Orleans to face his former team for the first time since stepping down in 2022 and joining the Broncos in 2023. Fans at the Caesars Superdome welcomed Payton back with boos.
Denver’s first drive stalled after a set of Bo Nix misfires. The Broncos rebounded on their second possession, getting within range for ex-Saints kicker Wil Lutz to convert a 46-yard field goal to give Denver a 3-0 lead.
On the second New Orleans drive, linebacker Cody Barton recorded a strip-sack and ex-Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander recovered the ball, setting the Broncos up at Denver’s 45-yard line.
The Broncos capitalized on that takeaway by adding a 32-yard Lutz field goal to extend the lead to 6-0 early in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, running back Javonte Williams went untouched on an eight-yard touchdown run that made it 13-0.
Saints kicker Blake Grupe later converted a 35-yard field goal to make it 13-3 just after the two-minute warning. After Nix threw a bad pass that Tyrann Mathieu could have intercepted but dropped, Denver added a 52-yard Lutz field goal and took a 16-3 lead into halftime.
Lutz added a 38-yarder in the third quarter to make it 19-3. On their next drive, Nix set the Broncos up with good field position following a 32-yard run. Williams then scored his second touchdown of the game from five yards out to make it 23-6.
Denver’s productive rushing attack had its first negative play of the game in the fourth quarter when rookie Audric Estime lost a fumble. New Orleans wasn’t able to capitalize off that turnover.
Later in the fourth, cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian strip-sacked Rattler and Barton recovered the ball and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown to make it 33-3. The Saints switched to quarterback Jake Haener in the fourth quarter and the Broncos put in their second-string defense. Haener then threw a 12-yard touchdown pass late in the game to make it 33-10.
Led by 88 yards from Williams and 75 yards from Nix, the Broncos finished the game with 225 rushing yards, marking their best single-game performance in more than a decade.
Up next for Denver is a mini-bye this weekend followed by their next game in Week 8, a home game against the Carolina Panthers (1-5) on Oct. 27.
