Sean Payton Admits Saints Weren’t Prepared for What Happened Inside Superdome

The New Orleans Saints' return to the Superdome in 2006 became more than football, and Sean Payton admits even those living through it couldn't fully understand what was coming.

Twenty years later, Payton is preparing to revisit that unforgettable night as New Orleans commemorates the anniversary of its first game back in the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. The Saints will fittingly host the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football," the same opponent they defeated 23-3 on Sept. 25, 2006, in a game forever connected to the city's recovery.

Payton, now the Denver Broncos' head coach, was asked this week what he remembered about the occasion. His answer offered a fascinating look at just how unusual the buildup was for a Saints team that had spent much of its first season together away from New Orleans.

"I don't know that any player or coach on that team, when everyone kind of got there, could expect what all of it was going to mean," Payton said. "I do remember this though, training camp was away because of facilities. It was a long training camp. It was seven weeks in Jackson, Mississippi."

Sean Payton Couldn't Prepare Saints for Superdome Atmosphere

The Saints weren't simply preparing for another home opener. Payton recalled playing preseason home games in Shreveport and Jackson before opening the regular season with road victories over the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers .

New Orleans and Atlanta both entered the Superdome at 2-0, but the game carried a significance no normal undefeated matchup possibly could. Payton even brought his team into the stadium Friday night to practice under the lights and familiarize itself with a building it had yet to call home that season.

"But even with all that being said, as much as you try as a coach to prepare for what the environment's going to be like, it's hard to do that," Payton said. "So that was unique."

Then came the moment that still defines the night. Steve Gleason blocked Atlanta's first punt, Curtis Deloatch recovered it for a touchdown and the Superdome erupted less than two minutes into the game. New Orleans eventually won 23-3 in front of 70,003 fans.

Payton understood there was symbolism surrounding the reopening, but even he couldn't anticipate what that Saints team would ultimately represent to New Orleans.

"There were so many other people that maybe normally wouldn't be at a Saints game," Payton said. "Then there was a lot of symbolism, obviously, as the first event back there at a place that was literally broken."

That's what makes Payton's reflection resonate 20 years later. Coaches spend their careers preparing for every imaginable situation, but on one of the most important nights in Saints history, there was simply no playbook for what awaited New Orleans inside that building.

Now, 20 years later, the Saints prepare to face the Falcons under those same Superdome lights, with another generation getting a reminder of why that night will forever mean more to New Orleans than football.