Week 7 of the NFL teed off with a primetime Thursday Night Football game. But the primetime matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Denver Broncos did not have much allure attached to it. The two teams have a combined record of 5-7 this season.
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Fans Dismayed At Lackluster Saints, Broncos Matchup
Fans have long groaned about the quality of Thursday night games. Some have argued that because of the shorter turnaround time, players do not have adequate time to rest, which affects the quality of play on the field. Others have noted that the quality of the Amazon Prime telecast has also impacted the quality of the games. Whatever the reason for their gripe was, fans voiced their displeasure about the lackluster showing of the Broncos and Saints in Week 7.
"Has Thursday Night Football on Prime even been anything other than a**? " one disgruntled fan said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"What did we do to deserve this Thursday Night Football matchup?" another fan added.
Sean Payton Gets Honest About His Return to New Orleans
But despite the displeasure of the play on the field, there was at least one noteworthy reason to watch the Saints play the Broncos on Thursday. Broncos head coach Sean Payton returned to New Orleans for the first time since parting ways with the Saints in 2021.
During his 15-year tenure, Payton led the franchise to its lone Super Bowl title in 2010. But despite being one of the most important figures in the history of the Saints, Payton doesn't expect for his welcome home party to last too long, as he knows both teams badly need a win.
"I don't think there's going to be a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly, and I get it. ... I can't stand losing," Payton said. "It's about our team and me as the head coach of the Broncos getting ready to play on an early week and trying to play one of our better games."
