Sean Payton is heading into his fourth season with the Denver Broncos, but evidently still harbors animosity for the Atlanta Falcons.
Payton made that clear when he took a shot at Falcons fans during a halftime interview of Denver's sparsely attended preseason Week 1 matchup against Atlanta.
"There's a lot of people dressed up as empty seats today," Payton said with a laugh, while looking around the stands at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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To be fair, Payton had a point. The 71,000-seat stadium was nowhere close to full capacity, as much of the lower bowl was empty for the first Falcons preseason game.
Nonetheless, Payton's criticism clearly harkened back to his rivalry with the Falcons, which dates back to his 15 seasons as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
During his tenure, the Saints and Falcons were often among the NFC South's top teams, as Drew Brees and Matt Ryan each led their respective squads on Super Bowl runs. Payton's Saints often got the best of the Falcons, as he owns a career record of 22-9 against Atlanta.
Payton appears to be on track toward earning another victory in Atlanta, albeit in the preseason. The Broncos led 24-0 at halftime and held a 24-7 advantage entering the fourth quarter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Broncos' Sean Payton takes jab at Falcons fans during preseason game