The New Orleans Saints host the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football in Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans.

I’m just going to be straight up honest; the Saints defense was awful on Sunday. They got completely exposed by Baker Mayfield, and despite forcing three interceptions, they gave up 51 points. It was an absolutely pathetic effort by everyone involved.

This week, they get a Broncos offense who isn’t performing at a very high level. They’re scoring just 18 points per game, which ranks 25th in the league, and are still going through some growing pains with rookie quarterback, Bo Nix. However, I will say Nix has looked better the past couple weeks.

I still believe the Saints have the playmakers on defense to be really good, but they just need to be more physical. In Sunday’s loss to Tampa, the Saints missed 15 tackles and gave up 242 yards after the catch. Mayfield threw for 315 yards, meaning that nearly 77% of his yards came after the catch. That is just unacceptable.

Unfortunately for the Saints, their tackling is going to be tested again this week against Denver. Bo Nix does not like to throw the ball downfield (just like in his college days), with over 60% of his attempts covering less than nine air yards and 50% of his yards coming after the catch. If they can’t get the Broncos receivers on the ground on first contact, it could be another long day for them defensively.

They are a bit fortunate, however, that the Broncos aren’t very super at rushing the football. They rank 23rd in the league in yards per game (107) and 18th in yards per attempt (4.3). Not horrible numbers, but nothing that’ll make you shake in your boots.

The Saints defense started the season off great against the run, but they’ve fallen off drastically since then. They now rank 20th in rushing yards allowed per game (133) and 30th in yards per attempt allowed (5.2). Those numbers are just unacceptable when your defense is supposed to be the strength of your team.

The Saints defense also ranked towards the top of the league in sacks through two weeks, but in their last three games, their 1.3 sacks per game put ranks 27th in the NFL. Things won’t get any easier in the sack department either, because the Broncos currently rank 5th in the NFL in sacks allowed, only giving up 1.5 per game.

This week is really going to tell us a lot about the Saints defense. Are they going to lay another egg and show us that maybe they’re not as good as we thought they were early in the season? Or are they going to bounce back with a big-time performance against Sean Payton’s offense and remind everyone that they’re still one of the premier units in the league?

I hope it’s the latter, but I’m not entirely sure to be honest.

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It’s a short week for the Denver Broncos as they prepare to take on the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. A lot is riding on this one, and Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans is a must-win game for the Broncos.

After the next two games, the Broncos hit the toughest stretch of their schedule, and a win in this game would put them in a good spot to weather it, including three road games in four weeks. 

To help the Broncos walk out of Caesars Superdome with the win, they need to be cautious of a few matchups. And Denver has to win them.

Winning these matchups will go a long way toward getting the Broncos the win and a plus-.500 record.

Young is currently having his best year in pressure rate, generating pressure on 16.8% of his snaps, which is among the highest at the position in the NFL. Every one of his 29 pressures has come from working the edge, which is the fourth-most in the NFL.

Young plays off the left tackle, and while he moves around on that side, he has yet to take a snap against the right side of the offensive line this season. That would put him against Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles, who’s had ups and downs this season. 

Now, the Saints could switch things up and flip Young to go against the Broncos’ right tackle, especially with some uncertainty about who it will be. The Broncos opened the practice window for Mike McGlinchey, and Alex Palczewski has been ruled out of Week 7. Matt Peart garnered the start last week.

The odds are that Dennis Allen and Joe Woods will stick with what they’ve done and put Young against Bolles, who has allowed one sack and 13 pressures this season, with five of those pressures coming in the season opener. Bolles has also been called for eight penalties this season.

He has also struggled with protecting the arch, where Young has had the most success. The Broncos need Bolles to handle that against Young. 

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The other side of the ball also comes down to the left tackle and the edges. Bonitto is a quick and explosive pass rusher, with an average get-off of 0.78 seconds, among the fastest in the NFL.

Now, the Broncos opened the practice window for rush linebacker Baron Browning as they did with McGlinchey, but it seems unlikely they’ll be activated with the short week. The Broncos could instead take advantage of the mini-bye week after Thursday night’s game — a 10-day stretch between games. 

Bonitto ranks second on the team in total pressures, but his quarterback pressure rate ranks sixth among Broncos pass rushers at 10.9%. While he has shown some flashes, his pass rush has needed more consistency and substance.

The Broncos also need him to step up against the run, which has been a problematic area for Bonitto this season. Jonathon Cooper has done well, but he has been missing a partner off the edge, and if Bonitto can step up, it will help him. It would also help Zach Allen, one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen this season, and John Franklin-Myers. 

Whatever way you slice it, Bonitto needs to step up, especially with Browning on the verge of returning and taking the starting job back. Bonitto has had four games to step up but has struggled to do so, which doesn’t bode well for his long-term outlook.

Saints offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga has faced some tough matchups over the past four weeks, but he’s a rookie. He’s had a solid season, but he is tied for the seventh-most pressures allowed and the ninth-worst pass-blocking efficiency, per Pro Football Focus. 

This is a good opportunity for Bonitto to make a case to remain the starter even when Browning is activated off injured reserve. If Bonitto can win, it will help take pressure off a Broncos defense that will be without Patrick Surtain II.

And if Bolles can step up and handle Young, the Broncos offense might be able to get into a rhythm. 

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