Given how long Sean Payton spent in the past coaching the New Orleans Saints, perhaps it should come as no surprise to fans that he loves any excuse he can get to troll the Atlanta Falcons. And he found a prime opportunity to do so as his current team, the Denver Broncos, visited the Falcons to open the preseason on Friday. The Broncos took no time in getting back to looking like the team that captured the AFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs last year, jumping out to a 24-0 lead at the halftime break before eventually capturing a 27-7 win. And when interviewed at halftime, Payton also took no time in finding a way to add insult to injury with a reference to a lackluster turnout by Falcons fans "A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today," Payton quipped.
Sean Payton at halftime in Atlanta, via @TroyRenck: "A lot of people dressed up as empty seats today." Falcons fans booed the team at the end of the first half. pic.twitter.com/q5XsvmyfJI — Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) August 15, 2026 Of course, the fans who were in attendance weren't feeling too chipper about Atlanta's performance either, with boos being showered down upon the team as they hit the locker room at the end of the first half. So while Payton wasn't impressed with the fan turnout, those who did make their way to the game didn't seem to feel there was much reason to return. The Falcons totaled just 192 yards of offense and turned the ball over twice in the loss, which doesn't paint the most optimistic picture of what the Kevin Stefanski era might look like. But the Broncos, on the other hand, looked every bit the elite defense that they were in 2025 – indicating that their reign atop the AFC might not yet be finished. This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Sean Payton trolls Falcons fans as Broncos dominate preseason opener