Sean Payton not expecting “warm fuzzies” in return to New Orleans

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton spent 15 years as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

And on Thursday night, he’ll make his return to what is now called the Caesars Superdome.

It might be an emotional night for Payton, considering all the success he had in New Orleans. Payton made the playoffs nine times with the Saints and compiled a 152-89 record, good for an impressive .631 winning percentage.

Of course the highlight of his career was winning Super Bowl XLIV after the 2009 season, infamously starting the second half off with a surprise onside kick and turning the momentum against the Indianapolis Colts.

On Monday, the day after the Broncos saw a three-game winning streak snapped, Payton was asked about his return to “The Big Easy” for the first time coaching a different team. He was thoughtful in his response on a conference call with the local media, but didn’t sugarcoat things.

“Obviously for a player, it’s different. For me, I think first off the evening’s about the game. Then secondly, (Drew) Brees is getting honored at halftime. I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly, and I get it,” Payton said.

Brees is the quarterback Payton had the most success with in New Orleans, winning the Super Bowl together and Brees setting all kinds of NFL records. He’ll go into the Saints Hall of Fame on Thursday night, so Payton thinks the focus will be on Brees.

Ultimately, Payton is worried about the Broncos getting their record back above .500 to 4-3 on the season.

“I’ll say this, it’s about the game. It’s about the win. The significance of us playing our best football on a short week and it’s about our team,” Payton said.

The Denver offense couldn’t get going on Sunday until it was too late, and they’ll need a fast start against New Orleans. For Payton, a victory is more important than his return.

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