Denver D, Javonte and Bo, have Broncos leading Saints, 16-3 at halftime

NEW ORLEANS — No one feels sorry for a team rattled with injuries.

Not in the NFL they don’t. Think Sean Payton’s Broncos was going to sympathize with Payton’s old New Orleans Saints?

Not a chance. At halftime, the Broncos were thoroughly dominating the Saints, 16-3 in front of an energized-turned-disenchanted crowd Thursday night at the Caesars Superdome. The Broncos got their points on three field goals from former Saint Wil Lutz — including a 52-yarder with 16 seconds left in the first half — and an 8-yard touchdown run by Javonte Williams, who had a big first half.

The Saints entered this game with 10 players on injury lists and quarterback Derek Carr and top receiver Chris Olave watching from the sidelines in sweats. To which, the Broncos said: So?

With longtime New Orleans’ coach Payton back in town leading the Broncos, the Saints thought it would be a good time to honor former quarterback Drew Brees by inducting him into their team’s Hall of Fame. Made sense. Payton and Brees were in it together during the franchise’s glory era, winning a Super Bowl in the 2009 season, and posting 10 winning records in the coach’s 15 seasons from 2006-2021.

Plus, if you’re Saints’ management, the game can’t only be about the return of Payton, the coach who walked away after the 2021 season only to reappear with the Broncos in 2023. They held an afternoon team HOF luncheon banquet for Brees and wouldn’t you know it, Payton, with the preparation for that night’s game put to bed, made a surprise appearance on the dais. Payton got a show-stealing standing ovation.

Payton and his successor, Dennis Allen, both played it safe early. Allen punted on fourth and 2 from near midfield – and getting nothing but a touchback.

Payton put together a good game plan for his rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who missed his share of open receivers, but scrambled well and still finished the first half 13 of 21 passing for 134 yards passing. On the first series Nix scrambled twice for 22 yards. While his passing was off, his scrambles slowed down the Saints’ pass rush. Then Nix got hot, going 6 of 6 for the rest of the first quarter. But on fourth and 1 from the Saints’ 8, Payton, tried to lure the defense offsides but when that didn’t work, had Lutz kick a short field goal for a 6-0 lead with 13:24 left in the second quarter.

At that point, the Broncos had 9 first downs to the Saints’ 2 and 118 yards in offense to the home team’s 58. So a 6-0 lead was relatively underwhelming.

The touchdown run by Williams midway through the second quarter gave the Broncos a 13-0 lead. Williams had 59 yards rushing on 8 carries and three catches for 23 yards in the first half. Plus the game’s only touchdown.

Saints’ cornerback Paulson Adebo was carted off the field in the second quarter with a vacuum cast on his right leg. He waved to the cheering crowd as he rode off. …

While Broncos’ top receiver Courtland Sutton officially didn’t have a targer in the first half, rookie Troy Franklin had a career-best four catches for 46 yards in the first half. …

Denver inside linebacker Cody Barton had a big first quarter, coming up with a strip-sack on Saints’ rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler and also having a deep-drop coverage knockdown. He led the Broncos with 6 tackles. …

Once again, Lucas Krull was the Broncos’ “receiving” tight end with Greg Dulcich again a healthy scratch. Krull had two catches for 18 yards in the first half.