RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Sean Payton has been around the NFL for many years, and although he is coaching in the AFC these days, apparently his history with the Atlanta Falcons from his time coaching in the NFC South with the Saints is still very much alive.
The Denver Broncos head coach had a little fun at Atlanta’s expense Friday night during Denver’s preseason opener, and his timing couldn’t have been better. The Broncos dominated the Falcons 27-7, taking a 24-0 lead into halftime before many fans had already started heading for the exits.
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Payton takes aim at empty seats
Aug 3, 2026; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton speaks to the media following training camp at Broncos Park. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images During a halftime interview, Payton was asked about his history of success in Atlanta. Instead of giving a typical football answer, he noticed what was happening around him at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
His response? “A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today.”
The comment immediately went viral, and it’s easy to see why. The stadium looked considerably emptier as the Broncos piled up points and Atlanta struggled to generate anything offensively.
To be fair to Falcons fans, this was only a preseason game, and preseason crowds aren’t exactly known for filling stadiums. But being down 24-0 at halftime certainly didn’t provide much incentive for fans to stick around.
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Saints-Falcons rivalry is still alive
Payton’s comments are even funnier considering his history with Atlanta.
Before taking over in Denver, Payton spent 15 seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, making the Falcons one of his biggest rivals during his time in the NFC South.
Payton finished with a 22-9 record against Atlanta, so he’s certainly familiar with beating the Falcons—and apparently still enjoys reminding them about it.
Of course, none of this will matter once the regular season begins. But for one night, Payton got to beat an old rival, dominate the scoreboard and get in a little trash talk along the way.
And considering the Falcons’ performance, they didn’t exactly give him much reason to hold back.
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