Just moments after Sean Payton made Drew Brees’ day by making a surprise appearance at the QB’s Hall of Fame induction, the Broncos HC balanced it out by obliterating Drew’s Saints on home turf.
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One of the highlights of Drew Brees’ Saints HoF induction was seeing Payton and ex-Saints assistants Joe Lombardi, Zach Strief, and Pete Carmichael show up to make it memorable for Drew. After all, this cohort was instrumental in nearly 15 years of Saints history and also won a Super Bowl together.
At the end of the ceremony however, Payton, who has now shifted his allegiance to Denver joked that he is done with the pleasantries and wants to see his former side on the field. While many saw it as a joke, Payton certainly didn’t as his Broncos destroyed the Saints 33-10 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The sad part of the defeat was that it was supposed to be Drew Brees’ night. By the end of the second quarter, the QB’s face, which was unfortunately caught on camera, gave away the immense disappointment at the scoreline.
Since then, the snapshot of Drew’s disappointment has gone viral on social media. While a picture like this would have been a field day for rival fans, but even they couldn’t engage in banter after looking at Drew’s grim face. From empathy to a few digs at the Saints management, NFL fans bombarded social media with their reactions to Drew’s viral snapshot.
Drew Brees doesn’t deserve this. Us Saints fans don’t deserve this. pic.twitter.com/DzG5k841Ri
— Chris Rosvoglou (@RosvoglouReport) October 18, 2024
Never seen a more haunted dude in the NFL than Drew Brees man.
— Sathiya (@sathiya0908) October 18, 2024
Actually as much as Saints fans kept acting like they were relevant since they left and now Saints fans finally accepting this is their reality for years to come is actually poetic.
— Profien (@Profien_87) October 18, 2024
He can’t believe what he is witnessing I feel bad for him I understand him so well!!! When you know your team is better than that n they play like that at home it’s not even funny!!
— texansfan100% (@texanslover100) October 18, 2024
Sadly, fans expressed a similar stance as well.
Saints fans leave the stadium before the match finished
Being 2-5 after more than one-third of the season is done, it’s hard to see how the Saints can qualify for the playoffs from here. For a team that was a regular playoff contender under Brees-Payton, it’s normal for fans to find it hard to digest a loss like this.
Things become even tougher when players on the pitch barely show some vigor to claw back into the game. And the worst part? To be handed a drubbing by none other than the coach who helped them win a Super Bowl in recent history.
Add these three emotional beats and it’s no wonder why fans left their home turf even before the match ended. Saints RB in his post-game media interaction validated this reaction from fans and surprisingly said that he would have done the same.
“I don’t blame the fans, it’s on us. They come to see us play and perform and when we don’t perform, that’s the results you get. But I’ve never experienced that and if I was a fan, I’d leave too because it’s not good enough right now.”
While it’s good to see players taking the responsibility, it’s not worth a dime if they don’t improve on it. With a decently manageable fixture on the horizon, the Saints have a good chance of getting back on track. Testing times ahead!
