Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton continued his long-standing rivalry with the Atlanta Falcons by making a pointed remark about the team's attendance during a preseason matchup. At halftime of the Broncos' 27-7 victory on Friday night, Payton commented on the noticeable number of empty seats in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Responding to a reporter's observation about Payton's past success in Atlanta, the Broncos coach quipped, "A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today." The official attendance for the game was recorded at 68,183, though visible empty seats were apparent throughout the stadium, including at field level.
Payton, now in his 19th season as an NFL coach, has a notable record against the Falcons, holding a career mark of 22-9, including an 11-4 record in Atlanta. This is not the first time Payton has publicly taken aim at the Falcons; in 2020, he trolled former Falcons receiver Roddy White by retweeting a post that predicted an Atlanta victory over the Saints, a game the Saints ultimately won decisively.
Denver's preseason win saw them dominate the Falcons, with the team's offense performing strongly. The Broncos are preparing for the upcoming regular season after a 14-3 campaign last year that ended in the AFC Championship game. The Falcons, meanwhile, are under new leadership with head coach Kevin Stefanski and are in the process of determining their starting quarterback between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. Tagovailoa's preseason debut showed limited action, completing 3 of 5 passes for 22 yards and primarily targeting tight end Kyle Pitts.
The Broncos and Falcons will not face each other during the regular season, thus concluding this particular preseason chapter of their rivalry.