NEW ORLEANS – Before the Denver Broncos departed for their trip to New Orleans, head coach Sean Payton reminded his team of a simple goal: “We’re in the business of piling up wins.”

The Broncos did just that on Thursday, collecting their fourth of the season, 33-10. And they did it with a familiar formula: defense, turnover-free play from starting quarterback Bo Nix and just enough field goals to get the job done, against a New Orleans Saints team that had 17 players on the injured list this week. .

The Broncos (4-3) also leaned into their run game, rushing for 200 yards for good measure. It’s their best record through seven games since they were 5-2 in 2016. Next: They welcome Carolina home on Oct. 27.

Troubling trend: The Broncos will post a 4-3 record, but the slow start continues. Other than a rare early outburst in Tampa in Week 3, the Broncos offense hasn’t stressed the defense early. In their five games, not including Tampa, the Broncos had 20 punts before Thursday night, Nix had thrown two interceptions, they lost two fumbles and they had 15 three-and-outs in 30 first-half possessions. Against an injury-ravaged Saints defense, the Broncos opened with six-play possessions, including two bad Nix misses and a punt, before making two field goals on their next two possessions.

QB breakdown: The numbers look good, but Nix’s mobility remains his biggest asset. He recorded his second consecutive game of at least 61 yards rushing against the Saints. Nix finished 13 of 21 passing for 134 yards in the first half when things were on the line, with no sacks and no turnovers. But the visibility at 10,000 feet is really what it could have been, even outside of its 75-yard rush. Nix missed opportunities early in the game on the biggest plays of the night due to his inconsistent footwork.

Silver lining: After dealing with the initial shock of cornerback Pat Surtain II’s concussion on the first defensive play of the game last week, Denver has shown its defense still has teeth. Surtain will be missed in any game he doesn’t play, but the Broncos surrendered just 105 yards to the Chargers in the second half after establishing themselves. On Thursday, they held the Saints to under 180 yards rushing heading into the fourth quarter, where they scored a defensive touchdown from linebacker Cody Barton. They also put pressure on Saints QB Spencer Rattler all the time. –Jeff Legwold

Next game: vs. Panthers (4:25 PM ET, October 27)

There is no help coming for the saints.

Members of the 2009 Super Bowl team were in the building to watch former quarterback Drew Brees be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame at halftime. A large group of injured players, including quarterback Derek Carr, Taysom Hill and offensive linemen Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, watched from the sidelines. Three more players (Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and Nick Saldiveri) were ruled out of the match due to injuries.

But the Saints’ health is just one of the problems for a team with no quick fix in sight. The Saints were shut out for the second week in a row, scoring just 10 points against the Broncos and former coach Payton.

The Saints (2-5) have now lost five straight and have been outscored 60-10 over the last six quarters. They face the Los Angeles Chargers next week after their mini-bye.

Troubling trend: The defensive effort. The Saints defense was once the backbone of this team, but it got worse by the week and entered this game last in total defense. Former All-Pro defensive back Richard Sherman didn’t mince his words at halftime when discussing the overall effort on Prime Video: “They don’t want to tackle. They don’t want to make plays. These are good players… I don’t understand this. It looks like they want to get their coach fired.”

Describe the game in two words: Low point. The offense couldn’t score, the defense looked almost as bad as last week and the Superdome was virtually empty in the fourth quarter after another lackluster performance.

QB breakdown: It was another tough game for Rattler, who was missing the Saints’ top two receivers, several offensive linemen and Hill. Rattler made some big rookie mistakes, including a sack/fumble that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, a sack/fumble in the first quarter and another fumble that was saved by a defensive penalty. He was able to make some plays with his legs, but ultimately finished 25 of 35 for 172 yards and no touchdowns before Jake Haener ended the game. –Katherine Terrell

Next game: vs. Chargers (4:05 PM ET, October 27)