Sean Payton of the Broncos getting ready for his 'unusual' comeback to New Orleans

Sean Payton has trained numerous players who have come back to compete against their former teams in the NFL, and he recognized it will be "unusual" when he enters the Caesars Superdome as a visitor on Thursday night.

Payton commanded those sidelines as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006-21, leading the franchise to its only championship in Super Bowl XLIV. After a year working as a studio analyst, Payton took over as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2023.

He returns to the "Big Easy" in a crucial Week 7 game for both teams. The Broncos (3-3) are coming off a defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Saints (2-4) have lost four consecutive games.

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Payton's homecoming to New Orleans has additional challenges as Denver travels on a short week.

"I believe those around us understand how difficult the short week is compared to a full week," Payton said Monday. "Undoubtedly, there will be emotions returning there with players, but I do think that is a common occurrence in our league. With players and in this case, especially with the amount of time I spent there, I am aware of it.

"We have to deal with the loud crowd noise. That place gets really loud, and you all know that."

Payton sees a slight advantage with the short week in that it doesn't give him time to get caught up in the extra elements surrounding the game. This includes Drew Brees, Payton's quarterback from 2006-20, being inducted into the Saints' Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony.

"Fortunately, it's a short week because I haven't had the chance to dive into all the other things," Payton said. "I have already reached out to (Brees), congratulated him and said, 'This is just the beginning.'

"I will say this, it's about the game. It's about winning, the importance of playing our best football on a short week, and it's about our team. I will address that with them tomorrow morning and say, 'Let's understand the significance of getting our fourth win.' I think that is the top priority and we will go from there."

The game features an intriguing matchup between a Saints team that gave up 51 points to Tampa Bay despite intercepting three passes on Sunday, and a Broncos offense that was held scoreless at home until the fourth quarter by the Chargers.

Despite going on to a comfortable victory over Las Vegas the week before, the Broncos also failed to score in the first quarter and their first touchdown came on a 100-yard interception return by Patrick Surtain II.

Playing at a faster pace while trying to come back from behind against the Chargers helped Denver score two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and a quicker tempo could play a bigger role in the game plan in a noisy road environment.

"I think that is important," Payton said. "With each team we play, we meet as a staff and discuss how we want the game to unfold and plan accordingly.

"Of course, that is not out of the question. A lot of it depends on what you are trying to achieve with that strategy. Sometimes it is done to reduce the crowd noise. Other times it is done to slow down the pass rush. So, I think it will be something that is determined by our game plan."