As Broncos coach Sean Payton returns to New Orleans, the slumping Saints look to erase their four-game deficit

As if there wasn't enough nostalgia associated with this game, record-setting quarterback Drew Brees will also be in attendance for his official induction into the Saints Hall of Fame.

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However, neither team can afford to be distracted from what is happening in the ranks.

Both lost on Sunday, both had key players injured and both only had three days to prepare.

“It's fortunate that it's a short week because I didn't have a lot of time to focus on the other things,” Payton said. “I understand, but the most important thing is to find a way to win.”

Saints coach Dennis Allen spent 12 seasons on Payton's staff – including the last six as defensive coordinator before being promoted in 2022 when Payton stepped away from coaching for a year.

At the moment, however, the last thing he wants to talk about is the return of his long-time friend and mentor.

“I don't think we need to focus on that,” said Allen, who has no playoff berth in his 18-22 seasons as the Saints' coach. “Our focus needs to be on our football team and what we need to do to improve.”

Since opening this season with two lopsided wins, the Saints have been in a slump that has gotten worse over the past two weeks with a 26-13 loss at Kansas City and a 51-27 loss at home to Tampa Bay .

New Orleans also fields a rookie QB; Spencer Rattler, selected in the fifth round of the draft, was pressed into service due to Derek Carr's oblique injury.

And the Saints know how adept Payton is at identifying and exploiting opponents' weaknesses.

“Everyone in this building knows who Sean Payton is, and if they see blood in the water, they're going to try to take advantage of it,” Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said. “That’s always been his MO. So at this point we are not helping to prevent that with the last game we just hosted.”

First-year QBs

Last fall, Broncos QB Bo Nix was a Heisman Trophy candidate at Oregon while Rattler was under center at South Carolina.

Their college careers had similarities – and now both are slated to start in the same NFL primetime game.

Nix began his college career in the SEC at Auburn, where he struggled before finding success as a transfer. Rattler began his college career at Oklahoma, then a member of the Big 12, before moving to the SEC.

Before the draft, Denver was interested in Rattler and trained him privately.

“There’s a calmness when he plays,” Payton said of Rattler. “It's not too big for him and he has a live arm. We were really impressed.”

Defensive lull

Defense has been a hallmark of the Saints under Allen, both as coordinator and head coach.

Unusually, New Orleans ranked last in the NFL this week with 395.8 yards allowed per game.

Missed tackles were a problem and sometimes led to drive-intensive third-down conversions – if not explosive plays or long touchdowns.

Linebacker and defensive captain Demario Davis said he doesn't let unflattering statistics get him down emotionally.

“If you're results-oriented, you can score too high when the numbers mean something, or score too low,” Davis said. “This is a bad way to live and a bad way to lead.”

But Davis doesn't ignore statistics either, comparing the bad ones to a car's engine light.

“When the time comes, maybe something needs to change,” Davis said. “You have to figure out why the light is on, fix it, and then move on.”