Welcome to the league, rookie. Saints’ Spencer Rattler, pictured sacked by Broncos’ John Franklin Myers, failed to lead New Orleans to the end zone as a starter Thursday night. (Photo by Gus Stark/Getty Images)
Sean Payton returned to the Caesars Superdome sideline Thursday night. Drew Brees was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame at halftime.
That’s what made the game itself so depressing for Saints fans. It was a reminder of exactly how far the team has fallen since the glory days of Payton and Brees.
The Saints lost 33-10 to former coach Payton and the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos weren’t that good, the Saints were just bad. Some of it was beyond the control of the Saints. They were without many key players due to injuries, including quarterback Derek Carr and top receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shahid. Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler tried his best, but there’s a reason he was a fifth-round draft pick. The Saints struggled to move the ball and sustain drives all night.
New Orleans started 2-0, but lost five straight from there. The last two losses were embarrassing for a variety of reasons. Last week, their defense was completely overrun by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they lost 51-27. Thursday, it was a loss for the coach and franchise icon the Saints traded to Denver in the 2023 offseason.
According to NFL researcher Tony Holtzman Escareno, the Saints haven’t lost consecutive home games by more than 20 points since 2001. During his 15 years with Payton, he only lost a home game by more than 20 points twice.
Saints ownership isn’t very happy with all of this and must be getting impatient with head coach Dennis Allen. His future, and whether he can survive another embarrassing home loss, will be a hot topic after Thursday night.
The Saints will struggle again Thursday night.
The game was ugly, with baffling decisions that left fans searching for remotes. Near the end of the first half, the Saints called a timeout with four seconds left. Then they knelt down and used up the rest of their time.
Neither team showed a remarkable performance. The Broncos at least did enough to get the win. They are 4-3 this season, a testament to Payton’s coaching.
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been up and down this season, and he was inconsistent from game to game on Thursday. He showed a much-talked-about highlight in which he somehow overthrew one wide-open receiver and underthrew the other on the same play.
But the Knicks did some things well. He had 134 passing yards and 41 rushing yards in the first half. The Broncos struggled in the red zone and continued to shoot for field goals, but it was enough to take a 16-3 lead at halftime. With Payton making the most of his roster, Denver continues to win. Saints fans know that all too well.
After Brees’ halftime ceremony, there wasn’t much noise from the Saints fans who were stuck there. There wasn’t much reason to be excited about the rest of the game, and there wasn’t much reason to be excited about the rest of the season either.
The fall of the saints continues
The Saints looked very strong to start the season. They recorded several high-scoring blowout wins, going 2-0. As it turns out, the defenses of the first two opponents, the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, aren’t very good.
Since then, the Saints have lost five straight games. Injuries are a big reason, but they aren’t the only reason. It’s hard to blame the injuries, most of which occurred on the offensive end, on the defense’s efforts over the past few games.
The Broncos didn’t have to do much in the second half, but they ran the ball. The hole for running back was big. Being run into the ground for the second week in a row wasn’t good for the Saints, and it certainly wasn’t good for Allen.
The Saints are a mess on both sides of the ball. It’s not going to be a good feeling for anyone to see their former coach come to New Orleans and get an easy win.
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER36 Update
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:27 PM EDT
Broncos fans gather in New Orleans
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:25 PM EDT
Final: Broncos 33, Saints 10
This was pretty bad, guys. The Saints scored a touchdown with two minutes remaining, but were unable to score a touchdown in the game. The Broncos didn’t play great, but they didn’t have to.
However, fans got to honor Saints legend Drew Brees as he was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame.
final statistics
Total violations
Broncos 389, Saints 271
denver
Bo Nix 16 of 26 for 164 yards
Javonte Williams 14 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD
Troy Franklin 5 receptions, 50 yards
new orleans
Spencer Rattler 25-for-35, 172 yards, 2 lost fumbles
Jake Hayner: 3-for-4, 38 yards, 1 TD
Kendre Miller 6 rushes, 36 yards
Cedric Wilson Jr. 6 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:20 PM EDT
Jarrett Stidham lands a knee for two.
Jarrett Stidham came on to end the game for the Broncos and took a knee twice.
And the final game is Broncos 33, Saints 10.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:17 PM EDT
touchdown, saints
New Orleans finally found the end zone with 1:22 left in the game.
Jake Hayner hit Cedric Wilson Jr. for a 12-yard score, capping off an 11-play, 79-yard drive.
Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit wonder what the Saints’ quarterback situation will be next week. Hayner was quicker and more decisive in pulling the ball out and getting the offense into the end zone, even though the game was out of reach.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:12 PM EDT
Jake Hayner named QB for Saints
Six sacks and two minutes left seemed to be enough for Spencer Rattler.
Jake Hayner becomes New Orleans’ quarterback. Amazon replays show Rattler may have hurt his ribs after fumbling on the Saints’ final drive.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 11:04 PM EDT
This Cody Burton fumble return TD count
Another sack and another fumble by Spencer Rattler. Cody Barton picked up the fumble and ran 52 yards for a touchdown. No penalty this time. This touchdown is successful.
Rattler was sacked six times tonight. Justin Strnad and Ja’Quan McMillian took him on this drive.
After the extra point kick, the Broncos scored 33 points and the Saints scored 3.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:53 PM EDT
Javonte Williams, 111 yards of total offense
Javonte Williams has rushed for 88 yards after gaining 27 yards on two carries. He also had three catches for 23 yards receiving.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:43 PM EDT
Spencer Rattler sacked 4 times tonight
Spencer Rattler was sacked twice on this drive. The first by Nick Bonitto, the second by Jonah Ellis and Zach Allen.
The Saints must punt from their own 40-yard line.
Rattler was sacked four times tonight.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:39 PM EDT
Cortland Sutton, Target Zero
This was a hot topic at halftime, but Courtland Sutton isn’t getting any targets for the Broncos tonight. Quarter 3 is already over.
Here are Cortland Sutton’s stats so far:
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) October 18, 2024
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:35 PM EDT
Marshon Lattimore out with hamstring injury
Amazon’s Kaylee Hartung reported that Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not return to the game. He went to the medical tent to have his hamstring injury checked and his treatment ended for the night.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:34 PM EDT
End of 3rd quarter: Broncos 26, Saints 3
Denver ended the third quarter with the ball, getting a 14-yard pass from Bo Nix to Devaughn Verre, followed by a 10-yard run by Jaleel McLaughlin.
The Broncos now lead at the end of the third quarter, 26-
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:31 PM EDT
saints hurt themselves by punishment
A promising drive for the Saints hit a bump on Foster Morrow’s holding penalty, followed by a Landon Young false start penalty.
Spencer Rattler then completed his next two passes for 18 yards. However, he was sacked by John Franklin Myers at the Saints’ own 33-yard line for a 6-yard loss.
Rattler followed it up with a 14-yard pass to Bab Means, but the hole was too deep to dig out and New Orleans was forced to punt.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:17 PM EDT
touchdown, broncos
On their second possession of the second half, the Broncos scored a touchdown. Javonte Williams’ 5-yard TD run capped off a five-play, 69-yard drive.
Bo Nix’s 32-yard run highlighted the drive. Williams has 73 rushing yards and 81 on the ground.
The Broncos extend their lead to 26-3.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:09 PM EDT
Field goals: Broncos 19, Saints 3
The Broncos got two strong runs on their first drive of the second half: a 13-yard rush by Javonte Williams and a 25-yard dash by Jaleel McLaughlin.
However, Denver was unable to get any closer than New Orleans’ 20-yard line and settled for Will Lutz’s fourth field goal of the game. His 38-yard kick was good.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:04 PM EDT
Saints start the second half with a 3-and-out.
New Orleans clearly wasn’t paying attention to Drew Brees’ halftime chant to get the crowd going. The Saints went 3-and-out on their first possession of the second half.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 10:00 PM EDT
Drew Brees’ signature chant
Drew Brees led the Caesars Superdome in the signature pregame chant during the halftime ceremony in which he was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Breeze: 1️⃣
Team: 2️⃣
Brees: “Win.”
Team: “For you.”
Breeze: 3️⃣
Team: 4️⃣
Brees: “Win.”
Team: “A little more”
Breeze: 5️⃣
Team: 6️⃣
Brees: “Win.”
Team: “For kicks.”
Breeze: 7️⃣
Team: 8️⃣
Brees: “Win.”
Team: “That’s amazing.”
Breeze: 9️⃣
Team: 🔟
Brees: “Win.”
Team: “Again!” pic.twitter.com/7Ocdggi4EM
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2024
Saints fans will be hoping for more support in the second half. They get the ball and the third quarter begins.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 9:49 PM EDT
Drew Brees inducted into Saints Hall of Fame
Saints fans don’t have much to cheer about so far. But they can watch Drew Brees be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame at halftime in the Caesars Superdome.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 9:46 PM EDT
Halftime: Broncos 16, Saints 3
It wasn’t a spectacular “Thursday Night Football” matchup, but Sean Payton leads his new team over his old team. The Broncos hold a 16-3 lead over the Saints.
half time statistics
Total violations
Broncos 242, Saints 130
denver
Bo Nix 13 of 21 for 134 yards
Javonte Williams 59 yards, 1 TD, 8 carries
Troy Franklin 4 receptions, 46 yards
new orleans
Spencer Rattler: 10 of 13, 90 yards, 1 lost fumble/28 yards, 3 carries
Foster Morrow 2 receptions, 38 yards
Thursday, October 17, 2024 9:39 PM EDT
Field goals: Broncos 16, Saints 3
Bo Nix brought Denver within field goal range just before halftime, moving the Broncos 38 yards in nine plays.
Will Lutz kicked his third field goal of the game, a 52-yard gain with 0:16 left in the first half.
Thursday, October 17, 2024 9:30 PM EDT
Field goals: Broncos 13, Saints 3
Blake Group kicked a 35-yard field goal with 1:57 left in the first half to cut Denver’s lead to 13-3.
