NEW ORLEANS – The biggest storyline in Thursday night’s game between the Broncos and Saints was head coach Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans.

Payton became one of the most successful head coaches of his generation, largely because of the offense he led with the Saints.

Now in his second season with the Broncos, it is Payton’s team’s defense that is primarily responsible for a recent surge.

Head coaches are judged on the success of their entire team, not just the unit for which they are primarily responsible. And Payton shows he can lead a team to success in a variety of ways.

He and the state of the two franchises he has led are a case study in the difficulty of sustaining success in the NFL.

Payton, who resigned from the Saints after the 2021 season, watched for the first time as a head coach from the visitors’ sidelines in the Caesars Superdome as Denver’s defense stifled the injury-plagued New Orleans offense in a 33-10 win.

The Broncos (4-3) won for the fourth time in five games and allowed an average of just 11 points in four wins. Even in their three losses, they have only allowed 26, 13 and 23 points.

Denver didn’t allow a touchdown until less than 90 seconds remained in Thursday’s loss and limited the Saints’ offense to 271 yards, nearly a third of which came after the visitors took a 30-point lead.

It was dominance of one side. A disaster for the other.

Payton hopes rookie No. 1 draft pick Bo Nix can eventually emerge as the leader of an offense that could rival the one Drew Brees directed for 15 seasons as Payton-coached teams made nine playoff appearances and then the lone Super Bowl won against New Orleans. the 2009 season.

In the meantime, the defense’s play allows Payton to be patient with Nix.

Nix passed for just 164 yards against the Saints, but he added 75 rushing yards on 10 carries and Javonte Williams added two rushing touchdowns and 111 yards from scrimmage.

Ironically, Dennis Allen, who was promoted to succeed Payton because of the success he had as Payton’s defensive coordinator, has seen his defense deteriorate while Payton’s offensive-minded team improves, thanks in large part to its defense.

Now 2-5, Allen’s team has lost five straight games.

The Broncos finished with 225 rushing yards four days after the Saints allowed 227 rushing yards (and 594 total yards) in a 51–27 home loss to Tampa Bay.

Denver settled for Wil Lutz field goals four times, but that wasn’t a problem as New Orleans’ offense could never get a handle on the fourth-ranked defense in the NFL.

Rookie fifth-round draft pick Spencer Rattler made his second consecutive start in place of the injured Derek Carr, completing 25 of 35 passes for 172 yards. He was missing his top two wide receivers, Chris Olave (concussion) and Rashid Shaheed, who underwent knee surgery Thursday that will reportedly sideline him for the rest of the season, and was sacked five times behind a makeshift offensive line and lost two fumbles.

The outcome, incidentally, gave Payton a win against the last of the 32 NFL teams he had not previously defeated in his first crack at his former employer.

While his current team is rising in the AFC standings, his former team is sinking to the depths of the NFC.

A continuation of current trends means New Orleans would be looking for a new head coach for the second time in four years after Payton held the position for 16 years.

And from the looks of it, Payton is just getting started in Denver.