The winningest coach in Saints history, Sean Payton, returns to New Orleans for the first time as franchise welcomes the Denver Broncos for ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Payton was in the city for 15 seasons and helped deliver Super Bowl XLIV.
It’s not the only intriguing storyline, though, as two rookies will battle it out between Denver’s Bo Nix and New Orleans’ Spencer Rattler.
Stay with NBC News all night for the latest from the Caesars Superdome.
Denver Broncos at New Orleans Saints
Date: Thursday, Oct. 17
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Caesars Superdome in New Orleans
How to watch: Amazon Prime
End of the first quarter
Denver ends the opening quarter still driving while up, 3-0. Bo Nix is 7-for-10 for 54 yards so far and the Broncos have added 55 yards on the ground.
New Orleans turns the ball over
Denver gets its 23rd sack — second-best in the NFL this season — when Cody Barton comes from Spencer Rattler’s blind side and forces a fumble just as the ball was leaving his hand. Denver is going to take over near midfield. In this game, with a pair of uneven rookie quarterbacks, favorable field position is going to take on even more importance than usual, and Denver just caught a break.
Broncos 3, Saints 0
With 5:28 left in the first quarter, Denver scores after a nine-play, 52-yard second drive. Nix was 4-for-4 passing on the drive and looked much more comfortable with getting his feet set. That seems to be a key for his accuracy.
Saints can’t sustain early promise
The first New Orleans drive showcased the full rookie-quarterback experience. Spencer Rattler connected on a 32-yard completion on his first snap, but then misread coverage and nearly had a pass intercepted two plays later. The Saints punt, giving Nix another chance.
Broncos go bust on first drive
The Broncos quarterback Bo Nix missed tight end Lucas Krull who was wide open on first down, then misfired on a roll-out pass on second down. Facing third-and-10, Nix threw off his back feet to beat Saints pressure but his pass fell short. Denver will punt, and the Broncos punt more than any other team this season.
We're underway.
Marvin Mims returns the opening kickoff for Denver, and the Broncos will start their first possession. Can Bo Nix be an explosive passer tonight? It’s been a challenge all season for him.
Saints donning throwback uniforms
Saints induct Drew Brees into team HOF
Brees, who led the franchise to its only Super Bowl, was honored prior to the matchup.
Saints offense has come back to earth
New Orleans scored more than 44 points in each win while allowing a total of 29 points during 2-0 start. Since then, they are averaging just 19 points per game during the four-game losing streak while allowing an average of 29.5 points per game.
Taysom Hill to miss game vs. Broncos
Taysom Hill has not played since Week 3 with fractured ribs. Hill is listed as a TE but is 7-2 in nine career starts at QB. He has not started a game at QB since the 2021 season and has not attempted a pass this season.
Juwan Johnson will start at tight end on Thursday night.
Spencer Rattler primed for big opportunity
Rattler, who was a fifth-round pick out of South Carolina in the 2024 NFL Draft, had been inactive for each of the first five games this season (as the emergency third QB). The 24-year- old played five years in college, spending three seasons at Oklahoma (2019-2021) and the last two seasons at South Carolina (2022-2023).
Last season at South Carolina, Rattler went 5-7 in 12 starts, throwing 19 TD passes and 8 interceptions. His best collegiate season came in 2020 as a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma, when he led the Big 12 in passing yards (3,031) and passing TD (28).
In his debut last week against Tampa Bay, Rattler threw for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Bo Nix making progress
The Broncos rookie QB, after an 0-2 start, has six touchdowns and and only one interception over the last four weeks. He had three scoring drives in the fourth quarter of a comeback attempt (that fell short) against the Chargers last Sunday.
He says he is happy with his progression so far.
“I do see the progress, but I still see some that I’m leaving out there,” Nix said Tuesday. “It’s a happy medium — a fine line of both — feeling like I am making strides, but, at the same time, there’s things I continue to go back and watch that I know I’m capable of doing. It’s good to see the progress and the strides, but I’m not where I want to be at yet.”
Sean Payton returns to face former team
Sean Payton returns to New Orleans to face the Saints for the first time since leaving the team after the 2021 season. Payton coached the Saints for 15 seasons from 2006-2021 (he was suspended for the entire 2012 season after the Bountygate scandal). He led New Orleans to seven division titles, nine playoff appearances and one Super Bowl, winning Super Bowl XLIV in the 2009 season (the Saints’ first and only Super Bowl appearance).
He is the winningest head coach in Saints franchise history (161-97 record including playoffs: .624 win%).
Saints again playing without QB Derek Carr
The Saints started 2-0 while scoring at a record pace, although the offense has fallen off as New Orleans has now lost three straight games. They are set to be without QB Derek Carr (oblique) for multiple weeks, with rookie Spencer Rattler in line to make his first career start in Week 6.