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The Game: Denver (3-3) at New Orleans (2-4)
The Storyline: In a plot twist that could only happen in the NFL, Denver’s very own Sean Payton returns to the Big Easy, a city famous for its gumbo, jazz, and the fact that no one made him a proper farewell cake. It’s been a whole year since he waved goodbye to the Saints—during which time the only thing that seemed to improve is New Orleans’ ability to throw a sizzling jambalaya while simultaneously scoring zero points in games. Payton claims he won’t get emotional, much like a cat watching a pigeon fly—there’s a sense of longing, with zero action taken. Dennis Allen, Payton’s old cooking assistant, now head chef of the Saints, is also playing it cool. Who knew coaching could be a recipe for emotional detachment?
Follow along for live coverage, or just watch some paint dry. Your call.
The Stakes: Will Sean Payton’s highly-anticipated return give the Amazon Prime football crew something to actually laugh about, or will it be as riveting as watching grass grow? The Broncos had a nice little 3-game winning streak, reminiscent of those fleeting moments in life when you think you have it all together until you panic, realize you don’t, and suddenly score a crushing 60 yards in a half. For the Saints, their promising start of averaging 45.5 points per game feels like a distant memory, one that most likely features a clown and a sad trombone as they settled into a cozy four-game losing streak where they seem allergic to scoring.
The Matchup: Will either offense figure out how to get out of their self-imposed jails of mediocrity? The Saints boast a third-down conversion rate that screams “we can do this!” at 47%, while the Broncos’ 25% rate screams “why are we here?” as if they’re auditioning for an NFL version of ‘The Hunger Games.’ With the Saints’ golden boy, Derek Carr, out nursing an oblique injury that sounds suspiciously like a fancy French dish, and top receiver Chris Olave joining him in concussion protocol—do they know this is football, not “Hunger Games”? Saints rookie Spencer Rattler made a valiant attempt at quarterbacking his way through total chaos with a dazzling stat line of a touchdown and two interceptions. Meanwhile, rookie Bo Nix adds to the Denver drama, throwing as many interceptions as touchdowns—five, if you’re scoring at home—because inconsistency is the name of the game, ladies and gents!
The Broadcast: Amazon Prime Video, 8:15 p.m. ET, Thursday—because nothing says entertainment like two teams possibly forgetting how to score.
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