Winners and losers: 3 takeaways from Saints Week 7 embarrassment against Broncos

The Saints staged an impressive, uplifting ceremony for former quarterback Drew Brees' entry into their Hall of Fame at halftime Thursday night at the Superdome.

But Brees' heartfelt speech to fans and his leading of the "Who Dat" cheer was unable to wake the dead. The Saints trailed Denver, 16-3, at the time. and lost for the fifth straight time, 33-10. That this blowout came at the hands of Brees' former Saints coach Sean Payton only added insult to injury.

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Highlights of Brees' incredible career from 2006-20 with the Saints that included the Super Bowl XLIV title on Feb. 7, 2010, in Miami and the MVP, seven NFC South titles, nine playoff appearances, three NFC title games and an NFL record five 5,000-yard passing seasons (No one else has more than two.)

With the Saints down 16-3 at the half, the already-dwindling Superdome crowd tried to get into it just moments after booing Saints coach Dennis Allen for kicking a field goal down 13-0, instead of going for it from the 17. But it was just too sad and bittersweet as the Brees film played on the video boards. ... There he was after the Super Bowl win. ... There he was after reigning as the King of the Bacchus Mardi Gras parade a week later after the Super Bowl, leading fans in a "Who Dat" chant at Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar in the Warehouse District.

He thanked the fans. He led them in another Who Dat chant, which wasn't quite the same, considering the scoreboard. And then he left amid a crowd of fans in dance waving white tissues or handkerchiefs, which is called a Second Line down here, and often done as funeral wrap. On this night, it was that and surrender.

"Now, it's back to reality," one scribe said as the second half started. Or back to the future, which is not pretty. New Orleans has lost five in a row for the first time since Payton's last season in 2021, which left him at 5-7. But he rallied to finish 9-8 and nearly make the playoffs before "retiring" for one season, then taking the Denver job in 2023. The Saints play two winning teams out of their next three — at the Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) on Oct. 27, at Carolina (1-5) and at home against Atlanta (4-2) on Nov. 10.

"We're making mistakes we shouldn't be making. Us as coaches and players alike, we've got to figure it out," said Saints coach Dennis Allen, who was Payton's defensive coordinator with the Saints from 2015-21. He was also here from the beginning with Payton and for the Super Bowl on a previous stop from 2006-10 as an assistant.

"It's been disappointing. We've got to find a way to play better," Allen said.

Or else, probably. Allen is 18-23 as the Saints coach. And he has lost two home games by 20 points or more in five days as Tampa Bay beat New Orleans, 51-27, on Sunday. The last time the Saints lost two home games by 20 points or more was under Payton, but that was over seven years — 41-10 to Carolina in 2014 and 31-6 to Buffalo in 2021.

Bags sighted as fans leave in droves post-Brees

Not long after Brees exited stage left as halftime concluded, so did the Saints as Denver quickly took a 26-3 lead in the third quarter. And the mass exodus began, but not before one fan put a grocery bag over his face that said, "Life after Drew." Saints fans became famous for putting grocery bags over their heads at games so as to not be recognized during New Orleans' 1-15 season in 1980.

By midway in the fourth quarter, it looked like an exhibition game.

"There are a couple unacceptable things going on," said Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who was held to 10 yards on seven carries for a 1.4-yard average and six catches for 14 yards for 2.3 yards a catch. "One, our play is unacceptable. And two, the dome emptying out."

Kamara played for Payton from 2017-21, including in the disputed NFC title game loss to the Rams in the 2018 season, and became one of the best backs in the NFL under him.

"I saw some fans leaving in the second quarter," he said. "That's unacceptable, but I don't blame the fans. It's on us because 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 (leaving in the second quarter)."

Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler completed 25 of 35 passes, but for only 172 yards — 4.9 yards an attempt — and was sacked six times in his second straight start for injured starting quarterback Derek Carr (oblique). The Saints' running game netted 97 rushing yards. The missed tackles continued, and usually sure-handed safety Tyrann Mathieu dropped an interception that he would've likely scored on. But Mathieu, like so many Saints, is aging fast.

"I felt bad,” Payton said. “New Orleans is nicked up, got a lot of injuries.”

Injuries mounting so much, it is ridiculous

Had Saints coach Dennis Allen had a good season last year and reached the playoffs and did not enter this season on the firing block, the story of the 2024 Saints would be injuries. Three more starters went down on Thursday night — cornerback Paulson Adebo (broken leg), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) and left guard Nick Saldiveri (shoulder). Saldiveri had started for the third time for a previously injured starter — Lucas Patrick (chest).

Other original starters missing the game were center Erik McCoy (groin), right guard Cesar Ruiz (knee), wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (knee surgery), wide receiver Chris Olave (concussion), quarterback Derek Carr (oblique), running back/tight end/Wildcat quarterback Taysom Hill (lung, rib), strong safety Will Harris (hamstring), linebacker Pete Werner (hamstring) and defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (back).

Adebo, Shaheed, and Harris are likely all out for the season.

Several of the above players are not only starters but very key players and/or very talented, such as Carr, Shaheed, Hill, Olave, McCoy, Ruiz, Adebo, Lattimore and Werner.

The Saints are the walking wounded. Their fans are close to the walking dead, but not really, because they managed to walk out of the Superdome Thursday night.

"If I was a fan, I'd leave, too," Kamara said. "Because it's just not good enough right now, for whatever reason."