The New Orleans Saints throttled the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. A familiar face was in the building last week that may have had a hand in their success.

That was former head coach Sean Payton.

Reports said that he was just visiting the team, but could Payton have had some discussions with some players as well as Dennis Allen?

The team's performance against the Raiders makes it certainly seem like it.

Sean Payton was in the building last week and they definitely went over everything he saw wrong with the team up to this point. It wasn't just handshakes and hugs.

— Allen K. (@AllenK_81) October 30, 2022

Players played with much more energy, and the Saints' offense flowed beautifully. Mistakes were minimal, and many young players stepped up in the victory for the Saints.

Payton was around the facility this week, and it isn't crazy to believe that he had some words of wisdom for anyone around.

For the offense, Pete Carmichael Jr. called a dazzling game. The Saints consistently picked up third down conversions. The offense was 7-12 on third down.

Quarterback Andy Dalton played his most efficient game, and Alvin Kamara exploded for multiple massive gains.

Also, pre-snap penalties were much less of an issue today. In general, the Saints avoided penalties for the most part. That had been one of their Achilles heels so far this year.

The other was turnovers, and the Saints did not turn the ball over a single time today.

Payton's fingerprints were all over the game plan and performance by the Saints today.

His appearance around the team last week feels like much more than a coincidence after their dominating victory.

Featured Image via USA TODAY-Sports