NEW ORLEANS – Before the Denver Broncos departed on their trip to New Orleans, head coach Sean Payton reminded his team of a simple goal: “Our business is to win.”

The Broncos did it this Thursday, posting their fourth score of the season at 33-10. And they did it with a familiar formula — defense, turnover-free play from rookie quarterback Bo Nix and just enough field goal shots to get the job done — against a New Orleans Saints team that had 17 players on the injured list, report this week .

The Broncos (4-3) also emphasized their running game and also surpassed the 200-yard rushing mark. It's their best record through seven games since going 5-2 in 2016. Next up: They'll host Carolina at home on Oct. 27.

Worrying trend: The Broncos will move to a 4-3 record, but the slow starts will continue. Aside from a rare early burst in Tampa in Week 3, the Broncos' offense hasn't stressed the defense early. In their five games, excluding Tampa, prior to Thursday night, the Broncos had 20 punts, Nix had thrown two interceptions, they lost two fumbles and had 15 three-and-outs on 30 first-half possessions. Against the Saints' injury-riddled defense, the Broncos started with six possessions, including two bad Nix misses and a punt, before scoring two field goal drives on their next two possessions.

QB breakdown: The numbers looked good, but Nix's mobility remains his greatest asset. He recorded his second straight game rushing for at least 61 yards against the Saints. With everything on the line in the first half, Nix completed 13 of 21 passes for 134 yards, with no sacks or turnovers. But the 10,000-foot view is truly what could have been, even beyond his 75-yard dash. Nix missed opportunities on the biggest plays of the night due to his inconsistent footwork early in the game.

Silver linings: After dealing with the initial shock of cornerback Pat Surtain II's concussion on the first defensive tackle of the game last week, Denver showed its defense still has some teeth. Surtain will be missed in any game he doesn't play in, but the Broncos gave up just 105 yards to the Chargers in the second half after they settled in. On Thursday, they held the Saints to under 180 yards before the fourth quarter, where they added a defensive touchdown from linebacker Cody Barton. They also put Saints QB Spencer Rattler under constant pressure. –Jeff Legwold

Next game: vs. Panthers (4:25 p.m. ET, October 27)

No help comes for the saints.

Members of the 2009 Super Bowl team were in the building to watch at halftime as former quarterback Drew Brees was inducted into the Saints' Hall of Fame. A large group of injured players, including quarterback Derek Carr, tight end Taysom Hill and offensive linemen Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, watched from the sidelines. Three other players (Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and Nick Saldiveri) were out of the game due to injuries.

But the Saints' health is just one of the problems for a team with no quick fix in sight. The Saints were blown for the second straight week, scoring just 10 points against the Broncos and former coach Sean Payton.

The Saints (2-5) have now lost five straight and have been outscored 60-10 in the last six quarters. They face the Los Angeles Chargers next week after their mini-bye.

Worrying trend: The defensive performance. The Saints' defense was once the backbone of this team, but they got worse every week and came into this competition ranked dead last in overall defense. Former All-Pro defenseman Richard Sherman didn't mince his words at halftime when speaking on Prime Video about the overall performance: “They don't want to attack. They don’t want to make plays. They’re good players…” “I don’t understand. It seems like they want to fire their coach,” Sherman said.

Describe the game in two words: Low point. The offense couldn't score, the defense looked almost as bad as it did last week and the Superdome was virtually empty in the fourth quarter of another lackluster performance.

QB breakdown: It was another tough game for Rattler, who was missing the Saints' top two receivers, several offensive linemen and Hill. Rattler had some big rookie mistakes, including a sack/fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, a sack/fumble in the first quarter and another fumble that was saved by a defensive penalty. He was able to make some plays with his legs, but ultimately finished the game 25 of 35 for 172 yards and no touchdowns before Jake Haener ended the game. –Katherine Terrell

Next game: vs. Chargers (4:05 p.m. ET, October 27)