Week 7 opened to a monotone one-sided affair.
The Denver Broncos came into New Orleans and easily crushed the Saints 33-10, marking a successful return for head coach Sean Payton.
Spencer Rattler got the start for the Saints with Derek Carr still nursing an oblique injury, but matters worsened with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed ruled out due to injuries before the match, with the latter done for the season.
Denver's increasingly elite defense got the job done with minimal sweat, even with CB1 Patrick Surtain II not available due to injury.
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The result moved Denver to 4-3 while the Saints fell to 2-5, losing five straight games after a hot start.
Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Broncos' rushing game
Denver got whatever it wanted on the ground, led by RB1 Javonte Williams. The 2021 second-rounder enjoyed his best game of the season, rushing for 88 yards on 14 carries for two touchdowns, with a long of 20.
Nix added 75 rushing yards on 10 attempts with a long of 32, while Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime picked up reps, too. The department finished with 225 total rushing yards on 35 carries with Williams' two touchdowns.
Jarrett Stidham brought the total down by two due to his pair of kneels to seal the game.
LOSER: Spencer Rattler, Saints
Nothing went right for Rattler in his second straight start. The rookie had an iffy debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but followed it up with a worse outing, completing 25 of 35 passes for just 172 yards, no touchdowns, no picks and took six sacks.
He also lost two fumbles, with one being returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter by linebacker Cody Barton. Barton, on a separate note, added a sack, QB hit and pass defended on the night.
Jake Haener came in for the final minutes and nearly immediately threw a touchdown pass. If Carr can't go next week, Haener could be in line to get the starting nod.
WINNER: Bo Nix, Broncos
It wasn't a special or noteworthy performance, but it finished the task. Nix, who has been an inconsistent thrower but capable with his legs, continued delivering such numbers.
The Oregon product ended with the aforementioned 75 rushing yards on 10 attempts while completing just 16 of 26 passes for 164 yards, no touchdowns, no picks and no sacks.
Nix will still need to show more through the air in the bigger games, but he has played his part in Denver being above .500 a third of the way into the season.
LOSER: Dennis Allen, Saints
One head coach has already been fired in Robert Saleh of the New York Jets. It's still early, but Allen's seat could be warming up. Allen has yet to show an identity with the team since becoming the head coach in 2022, and the fan morale and player effort is deteriorating every week.
Richard Sherman on the Amazon Prime halftime broadcast cited the players' lack of effort, saying they're playing "like they want to get their coach fired."
It's very unlikely Carr's return from injury will change much, with the Saints slipping down the NFC South as the Atlanta Falcons and Buccaneers look superior. The Saints may have to make a decision sooner rather than later to potentially salvage the season.
WINNER: Vance Joseph, Broncos
The Broncos' defense is becoming vaunting again, and a former head coach is leading the charge. Joseph, once the Denver head coach in 2017-18, is back and thriving as the defensive coordinator under Payton.
Denver's defense ranks in the top five in several important defensive statistics, showing a promising blend of being able to pressure the quarterback while locking things down in the secondary.
The Broncos will have tougher tests ahead -- two clashes against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens and Falcons, among others -- but it's a promising foundation for the team to have an identity alongside a rookie QB1.
