Tag: TNF

Drew Brees picked Sean Payton’s return game for Saints Hall of Fame honor

Drew Brees wanted to be added to the Saints Hall of Fame on the night that Sean Payton returned to New Orleans.

When the New Orleans Saints announced earlier this year that Drew Brees was being added to their Hall of Fame, the quarterback was given the choice of picking the game that he would be honored during the 2024 season.

Brees picked a Thursday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos, which marked coach Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans.

Before the game on Thursday, Payton surprised Brees at the QB’s Hall of Fame ceremony in the afternoon. Brees was then honored at halftime of the game in the stadium.

“When the schedule came out, it was the night that he wanted to come in,” Payton said after a 33-10 Broncos win. “They have the Saints Hall of Fame and then they have the Ring of Honor. He was being put in the Hall of Fame. It was good to see him.

“A few of us went over really quick to the Hilton and just thanked him. We were all kind of underdressed in our travel sweats. This is a city that dresses up a lot. It is always good to see him. I feel like I see him quite a bit. He has been to our practices. Anytime you see that whole group even pre-game yapping at us was fun.”

Brees, 45, will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.

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Bo Nix made Broncos history on ‘Thursday Night Football’

Bo Nix has tied John Elway and Drew Lock for the most wins by a Broncos rookie QB, and he now holds the team’s rookie completion record.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a historic night against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

After going 16-of-26 passing for 164 yards in a 33-10 win, Nix has now set the record for most completions (137) by a rookie quarterback in franchise history, breaking a record that was previously held by John Elway (123).

Nix’s four wins this season are also tied with Elway and Drew Lock for the most victories by a rookie QB in franchise history.

“It means a lot,” Nix said after the game. “You’re talking about one of the greats to ever do it at our organization. It means a lot. You’re in great company. I am not finished; we have a lot in front of us, so I definitely don’t want to stop there. We are going to continue to get better as a team. I am going to continue to grow and learn as a player. Hopefully, we will continue to have wins like this.”

Nix also rushed for 75 yards against the Saints, the sixth-most by a quarterback in a single game in Broncos history. Through seven games, Nix has 255 yards on the ground, the second-most by a rookie quarterback in franchise history and seventh-most overall by a QB in Denver’s history.

Nix has plenty of room for improvement, but there’s reason for optimism in Broncos Country after the rookie QB’s first seven games in the NFL.

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Broncos have their most consecutive road wins since 2015

The Broncos have won three straight road games, their longest streak of wins on the road since their Super Bowl season in 2015.

Following their 33-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, the Denver Broncos have now won their last three road games.

Thursday’s 23-point victory marked Denver’s fourth-highest margin of victory in a road game since 2010, and the team’s biggest blowout since a 45-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.

The Broncos’ three-straight road wins also mark the team’s longest road winning streak since their Super Bowl season in 2015 when Denver won four road games in a row. The team had a five-game road winning streak in 2011 and their all-time record was eight consecutive road wins from 2012-2013.

“I thought it was a good team win,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Thursday’s victory. “We did a lot of things well tonight that we statistically talk about. You are always adjusting and getting used to the short week schedule when you are at home and on the road. We talked all week about a fast start. I thought they handled the mental part of it. It’s really easy to complain on a short week and pretty soon no one cares. I thought our preparation for those two days were good.”

Up next for Denver is a home game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8 followed by back-to-back road games against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs. If the road streak holds up through that tough two-game stretch, the Broncos will be taken seriously across the league.

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Broncos had their best rushing performance of the last decade vs. Saints

The Broncos rushed for 225 yards vs. the Saints, their best single-game total since 2013. “Javonte [Williams] had some really good runs.”

The Denver Broncos‘ offensive line (and running backs) came to play against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

Broncos running back Javonte Williams had the first two-touchdown game of his career in a 33-10 win over the Saints, and he went untouched on one of his scores. Williams ended the day with 88 rushing yards and Denver totaled 225 yards on the ground as a team.

That represented the Broncos’ best single-game rushing total in more than a decade. The last time Denver topped 224 yards on the ground was 2013 when they totaled 280 rushing yards against the New England Patriots.

“He had to have been good,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Thursday’s win when asked about Williams’ big day. “I didn’t see all of the numbers. We actually were going to come out early, mix in the run and the read option. Bo (Nix) did a great job. We got a penalty called on one that was an impossible penalty. He threw the ball in .5 seconds and we got called for someone downfield (illegal downfield pass). It can’t happen meaning it’s an impossibility. I thought all of that clicked. We blocked them.

“You get a sense right away how you are matching up. Really from the late second quarter on it was pressure. We got a lot more zone tonight from this team maybe to keep more eyes on Bo. He did a good job with his feet. Javonte had some really good runs. When you have a night like that rushing and the time of possession, the script was flipped a little bit from last week. Fortunately from our defense, they got some rest.”

Denver’s big day on the ground was boosted by Nix’s 75 rushing yards, tied for sixth-most by a Broncos quarterback in a single game in franchise history.

“I think it is just an added bonus,” Nix said when asked what his rushing ability adds to the offense.”Obviously, you want to run the ball with running backs in special ways and get behind the o-line. At times, things break down and those hidden yards, I think, are really important. They get extra first downs, and they are ways of sneaking yards in. So, that was good to see, good to use, and we have to continue to do that when it’s there.”

As for Williams, he ended the night with an impressive 6.3 yards per carry average, but he’s still not satisfied with his performance.

“There are still some things that I can clean up and some things that I can improve on,” Williams said. “I am just going to watch the film and get better.”

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Broncos LB Cody Barton had a huge game against the Saints

“It was just one of those nights where it just comes to you and you just kind of feel it,” Cody Barton said of his big game on ‘TNF.’

Denver Broncos inside linebacker Cody Barton dominated the New Orleans Saints in a 33-10 victory on Thursday Night Football in Week 7.

Barton finished the game with eight tackles, one pass breakup, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery that he returned 52 yards for a touchdown. Barton also scored earlier in the game, but that touchdown was negated by a pre-snap penalty on defense.

After his impressive performance, Barton did not shine the spotlight on himself.

“It was just one of those nights where it just comes to you and you just kind of feel it,” Barton said. “It was a great team win. It was just one of those games. It was a great team win on the road on a short week. I am happy for everyone.”

Denver’s defense ended the day with two takeaways and six sacks. They didn’t allow a touchdown until backups entered the game late in the fourth quarter.

“Being on this defense is fun,” Barton said. “It’s aggressive. Everyone has a chance to eat. Today, I feel like it was kind of my day. Some of those bigger splash plays came my way. If this game were tomorrow, you don’t know who it is going to be. That’s kind of how this defense is. It’s a lot of fun just running around.”

If Barton and the defense continue playing at this level, the Broncos will be playoff contenders this fall.

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After beating his old team, Sean Payton says Saints will ‘bounce back’

“There are so many games ahead of us,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of the Saints’ slump. “They will bounce back.”

Sean Payton clearly still has a soft spot for his former team.

After the Denver Broncos defeated the New Orleans Saints by a score of 33-10 on Thursday Night Football, Payton described the Saints as a good football team that has been hit hard by injuries.

“They are nicked up,” Payton said. “I told Dennis Allen to get healthy. They have a good football team. A lot of their players right now weren’t able to play.”

New Orleans were missing multiple starters on Thursday, and they lost more players during the game. Payton made a point to console quarterback Spencer Rattler after the game, and he said in his postgame press conference that he expects the team to bounce back.

“You guys all saw how they played earlier in the season before they got hit with the injury bug,” Payton said. “They had two good wins in a row. There are so many games ahead of us. They will bounce back.”

If they don’t bounce back, Allen will soon be on the hot.

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OK, the truth is out: Playing Saints ‘meant a lot’ to Sean Payton

“I’m thankful for it,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said after Thursday’s game against the Saints. “It was kind of emotional.”

Leading up to the Denver Broncos‘ game against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football, coach Sean Payton admitted that there would be some emotions when facing his old team, but Payton said he was keeping his focus on just getting another win.

Broncos players downplayed it as “just another game.”

Clearly, that wasn’t true.

After a 33-10 win, Payton received a game ball from Denver’s ownership group and he got emotional while delivering his postgame speech. It was anything but just another game for Payton.

“It meant a lot,” Payton said in his postgame press conference when asked about getting a game ball. “There were a lot of moments here. You get to see a lot of old players that were here and to be with this team and this ownership group. It’s the reason that you miss it. The one year out. You miss relationships and making memories.

“It’s like I told them a couple of weeks ago. [Pat] Surtain’s interception right in front of our bench. There will be a time that I won’t remember his name and I’ll be having apple sauce out of a straw, but I’ll remember that play. That part about being around young people and having a chance to be a part of their journey and coach them is a pretty good job. I’m thankful for it. It was kind of emotional.”

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The players knew what Thursday meant to Payton. They downplayed it leading up to the game, but it was a special night for the coach.

“It was awesome,” quarterback Bo Nix said. “The Saints mean a lot to him. He was there for a while (and) had amazing success. It’s tough to go back to a place where you called home for that long and you fought for, and now you are playing against. It was special. It was a great moment. I’m happy for him.

“I’m happy for everybody that has been a part of that organization for so long. There was a lot of guys that came over with him that we are just (as) happy about (the win). It was a good team win. Everybody contributed. Everybody was on their toes with a short week and came our prepared and ready to roll.”

Broncos tight end Adam Trautman is one of eight former Saints who now play for Payton in Denver.

“It meant a lot,” Trautman said. “It probably couldn’t have gone any better, to be honest. He talked about ‘next game,’ but, obviously everyone knew that it meant a little something to him and we wanted to win it because it is the ‘next game,’ but, we knew how special it was to him. There are 22 guys here from New Orleans. So, just doing it for everyone (was special). Getting to 4-3
was the goal.”

Broncos defensive lineman Malcolm Roach, another ex-Saint, said the game brought back a lot of memories and “meant a lot” for him.

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Payton joined the Saints in 2006, one year after Hurricane Katrina. They immediately made the NFC Championship game in the coach’s first season and won a Super Bowl in his fourth season. Payton’s tenure in New Orleans was about more than just football.

“I think (about) what happened here and I’m going back to 2005 before any of us have arrived,” Payton said. “A lot changed with this city and more than any player and any coach from 2006 and on that it was bigger than football. There were schools and hospitals not opened. There were a lot of things up in the air.

“So you appreciate those people that came when they didn’t necessarily had to. That was a unique time. None of us were prepared for that. We were all anxious and excited about our new job opportunities, but none of us understood what it would mean and how big it would become. That part of it is different and kind of special.”

Because the Broncos and Saints play in separate conferences, they don’t meet often. Their last game before Thursday was back in 2020. After last night’s win, Payton was asked if it was the last time he’ll coach at the Caesars Superdome.

“I don’t think this is the last time that I am ever going to coach in this place,” Payton said, “[but] this was the last team I hadn’t beaten.”

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Running back recently cut by Broncos returns on practice squad after clearing waivers

After being cut on Thursday, RB Blake Watson cleared waivers on Friday and he will return to the Broncos on the practice squad.

After clearing waivers, running back Blake Watson plans to return to the Denver Broncos on the practice squad, according to multiple reports.

Watson was waived by the Broncos on Thursday when the team made a flurry of roster moves ahead of their game against the New Orleans Saints.

The 25-year-old running back originally signed with Denver as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis following the 2024 NFL draft. Watson dressed for one game this season when Audric Estime and Tyler Badie were both on injured reserve, playing just one snap on offense and one snap on special teams in his lone appearance.

With Estime now back on the active roster and Badie eligible to return in Week 9, the Broncos opted not to carry Watson on the 53-man roster.

Watson led the team in preseason with 26 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 41 yards this summer.

Following a 33-10 win over the Saints on Thursday, Denver has a mini bye this weekend ahead of their next game against the Carolina Panthers at home in Week 8 on Oct. 27.

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NFL fans think Alvin Kamara asked Sean Payton to trade for him

Alvin Kamara gave Sean Payton a long hug after ‘TNF,’ prompting NFL fans to speculate that Kamara wants the coach to trade for him.

Story update I: Alvin Kamara clarified on social media that he has not asked the Saints for a trade.

Story update II: Kamara agreed to a two-year, $24.5 million extension with the Saints on Oct. 22. He’s staying put in New Orleans.

The Denver Broncos beat up the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 7 as Sean Payton defeated his former team 33-10 in primetime.

After the game, Payton spoke with several of his former Saints players at midfield, including star running back Alvin Kamara.

The running back’s long embrace with Payton led many fans and pundits to suggest Kamara wants the coach to trade for him.

“Couldn’t help but think that maybe Alvin Kamara might be telling Coach Sean Payton ‘Hey, get me out of this hell hole. You know I would do wonders in Denver with #BoNix !'” former safety Nick Ferguson tweeted. “I’m just saying 🤷🏾‍♂️”

Ferguson certainly wasn’t alone with that take as many fans came to the same conclusion.

“Alvin Kamara just gave Sean Payton a hug so long like he wanted to tell Payton to get me out of New Orleans Asap,” one fan wrote on Twitter/X.

Saints tight end Taysom Hill also had a moment with Payton before the game:

As for Kamara, he gave this response when asked about fans clearing out of the stadium in the fourth quarter: “I’ve been here eight years and I’ve never seen the Dome clear out like that,” Kamara said, via Saints Wire. “And I can’t blame them. They’re fed up. … I get it. I would leave, too.”

The NFL’s trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Kamara will be a key name to watch as Denver weighs its options.

“If Kamara’s available and the Broncos — a playoff contender right now — you [can] plug him right into that offense,” PFT’s Mike Florio said on his Friday show. “It’s not like it’s going to be a massive adjustment for Kamara because he knows exactly what Sean Payton does and he can make a more seamless transition there than he would in other places.”

Denver would need to do a lot of cap maneuvering to take on Kamara’s contract as the running back is scheduled to have a base salary of $22.4 million next season. If they can make it work, though, Kamara would obviously be a big addition for the Broncos’ offense.

He’s a player to keep an eye on leading up to the trade deadline.

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Garett Bolles went viral after he ‘manhandled’ Chase Young on ‘TNF’

Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles easily dispatched Saints pass rusher Chase Young on this play!

In the fourth quarter of a Thursday Night Football showdown in Week 7, Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles easily tossed New Orleans Saints pass rusher Chase Young to the ground while protecting quarterback Bo Nix.

The play quickly went viral on social media and reactions poured in from fans and pundits on Twitter/X.

“Garett Bolles just manhandles Chase Young,” Brandon Perna tweeted after the play.

Added another fan: “Garett Bolles just threw Chase Young out the club! #Security 💀”

“Bolles looks like he can’t believe it was that easy to swat him onto the floor 🤦‍♂️😂,” one fan wrote.

“I could watch this all day,” a Broncos fan tweeted.

Check it out:

Young received plenty of criticism for the play.

“dude is so hard to watch and his effort on some plays is just pitiful,” one Saints fan commented.

Added another fan: “All that left tackle did was sneeze. Damn, Chase.”

As for Bolles, he had an excellent game. The veteran left tackle finished the night as Denver’s best offensive player based on Pro Football Focus grades (83.1). PFF gave him a 90.6 pass-blocking grade and credited him with zero pressures allowed in a 33-10 win.

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