ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — As Head Coach Sean Payton prepares to return to the city where he won a Lombardi Trophy, he acknowledged the "unique" aspect of this week's matchup.
"Certainly, there will be emotions going back there with players, but I do think that comes up quite a bit in our league," Payton said Monday ahead of facing the New Orleans Saints. "With players — and, in this case, certainly the amount of time I was there — I understand."
Payton, though, directed his attention toward the more paramount task of earning a "Thursday Night Football" win to improve to 4-3 on the season.
"It's about the game," Payton said. "It's about [getting] the win. The significance of us playing our best football on a short week, and it's about our team. I'll address that with them tomorrow morning and [say], 'Hey, let's understand the significance of getting our fourth win.' I think that's the number one thing, and then go from there."
Payton said the Broncos' ability to deal with the noise in the Superdome will be a critical factor in earning a win.
"We have to deal with the crowd noise," Payton said. "That place is loud, and you guys know that."
While the Saints will honor Drew Brees on Thursday, Payton said he understands there likely will not be "a lot of flowers and warm fuzzies for yours truly."
His focus, no matter the reception, will be on helping his current team play at the highest possible level.
"Listen, I can't stand losing," Payton said. "It's about our team and me as the head coach of the Broncos getting ready to play on [a short] week and trying to play one of our better games."
THE 'THURSDAY NIGHT' PLAN
Ahead of Week 6, Payton spoke to the importance of developing a game plan with the "stuff they know by heart" for a "Thursday Night Football" matchup.
And with Denver now just days away from a Week 7 game vs. New Orleans, Payton expounded on how that type of plan can help his team.
"In order to play fast, you have to know what to do," Payton said. "That doesn't mean that there's not a wrinkle. That doesn't mean there's not a couple of ideas that we want to walk through and put in.
"… I just think in order to play fast, it's important to play with the defense, special teams and offensive stuff scheme-wise, that you know real well [and] that you've done in training camp."
Payton also pointed to the importance of physical and mental recovery during a short week.
"Overall, I think one of the most important things in preparing for a Thursday night game is the recovery process," Payton said. "We had recovery stations even after the game yesterday and all day today. IV recovery, guys coming in to get a lift [and] get some film work done. Obviously, the practices get altered greatly, so trying to be as physically and mentally fresh for the game. The other thing that stands out when you do some studies, halftime leads on Thursday generally have a higher percentage of wins than on a normal Sunday. Fatigue can obviously take place, so I think playing well early is important."
