Dolphins 20 vs. 3 Saints summary: stats, scores and highlights | NFL Week 16
The Miami Dolphins extended their incredible win streak to seven games with a road win over the Saints in New Orleans. The defense set the tone early on against a COVID plagued Saints in the 20-3 win from Caesar’s Super Dome.
Dolphins dominate with defense
It was no secret that defense would dictate in a game between two of the leagues best units. The Saints were forced to field Ian Book in his first career start after Tysom Hill was ruled out. The Dolphins took this opportunity to tee off on the rookie quarterback, sacking him eight times and hitting him on nearly half the times he dropped back.
The Saints had to make 14 last minutes tweaks to the roster after they were stuck with COVID throughout the locker room. That meant an already struggling offensive side would have to rely on Alvin Kamara and Ian Book to lead the offense.
Needham pick six on Book's second career throw
The Dolphins wasted no time giving Book a warm welcome to the league. Nik Needham picked off Book on the second pass of the rookie's career, and took the interception to the house for the first score of the game.
The Saints would go three and out on their next two possessions and found no way to unlock the Dolphins defense that was so stingy all night long. With Book under center, Miami stacked the box with 10 or 11 defenders and used a heavy blitz package all night long. In the first half, the Dolphins blitzed Book on 70% of the plays.
The Saints finally got a drive going late in the second quarter, and got the first points of the night against all odds when Brett Maher hit a 38 yard field goal. That would be the end of the Saints scoring for the night.
Waddle's historic night
A Jaylen Waddle 1 yard touchdown reception midway though the third quarter pushed the game to a two touchdown contest, and effectively put the game on ice with New Orleans’ struggles on the offensive side of the ball.
Waddle had ten catches on the night and broke the Dolphins rookie receiving record passing Chris Chambers who had 883 yards in 2001. He now trails Anquan Boldin’s all time rookie reception record of 101 by five catches.
Tua steady again in Miami's win
Tua Tagovailoa had another solid game with 198 yards on 19/26 passing with a touchdown and an interception, while Book ended the night with 135 yards on 12/20 with two touchdowns.
Miami’s defense held the Saints to a total of 164 yards as they gave yet another fantastic performance on the defensive end to stretch the win streak to seven.
Playoff picture for Dolphins and Saints
The Dolphins are now in a four way tie with the Chargers, Raider sand Ravens for the final Wild Card spot. All four teams are 8-7 and looking to sneak into the playoffs with a Wild Card birth, but the Dolphins have an outside shot of winning the AFC East if they can win out and get some favorable results around the division.
The Saint now drop to 7-8 and are on the outside of the NFC Wild Card picture looking in. They trail the Eagles and the Niners by a game heading into the final two weeks of the season.
Jalen Waddle made Dolphins history in his 10 catch 92 yard night. He is looking to break Anquan Boldin's all-time rookie receptions record.
The Dolphins giving Ian Book a warm welcome to the NFL, taking the interception back for a touchdown on the rookies second career pass.
DOLPHINS WIN!!!
It's all over!!! The Dolphins rattle off their seventh straight win, and they are the first team in NFL history to lose seven straight and win seven straight in the same season.
The Saints get the ball back and will have a minute to get a consolation TD.
We are at the Two Minute Warning, but that is merely a formality at this point. The Dolphins have looked like they were going to win this game since the first quarter.
Book is picked off on 4th and 9 and that will do it for the Saints.It's been a debute to forget for Book who end the game with 135 yards on 12/20 passing and two touchdowns. He was also hit on nearly half of his drop back tonight. He never really stood a chance aginst this high pressure Dolphins defense.
Humphrey on a back sholder throw makes the catch and breaks a tackle taking it 56 yards. Where has that been all evening long?
MIami's drive comes to a close, but they did wind some time off the clock. The Saints will be pinned back to the 1 yard line after a brilliant punt with some great coverage.
1st and 10 Saints with 4:30 to go in the 4th quarter.
The Dolphins get the ball back at their 40 yard line after the Saints punt, and they will look to wind some clock on this possession.
The Dolphins have done their job, and should be looking to just wrap this game up. The Saints maybe hoping they end this game as quickly as possible as well after a dreadful day on the offensive end.
Kamara losses a yard on 3rd and 31, and lost the ball which was taken back for a would be touchdown by the Dolphins, but after review Kamara was down by contact.
Back to back sacks again for Book who is getting pummled. That was the Dolphins 8th sack of the game.
Kamara picks up 19 of the 20 on 3rd down and a QB sneak by Book will be enough for a 1st down.
Things are starting to get ugly for the Saints, and Book who is sacked for a second straight time bringing up 3rd and 20.
Sanders hits the 34 yard field goal and that makes it a three score game.
That might have just ended the Saints chances tonight, and potentially their playoff chances. They won't be mathimatically eliminated, but the job gets a whole lot harder if they don't win this game.
The Dolphins lead 20-3 with 12 minutes to go.
The Saints come up with a stop after the turnover on downs, and the Dolphins will settle for a field goal.
Tua dips the pressure in the backfield and hits Gesicki on the sideline for a gain of 12. Tua is looking good tonight. He hasn't been asked to do too much, but he's 19/24 for 198 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Saints turn it over on downs after Book rolls to the right, and can't find anyone down the field.
1st and 10 Dolphins from the NO 38.
Callaway was short of the first down on 3rd and 4 and the Saints will go for it on 4th and 1.
We are headed to the fourth quarter with the Dolphins leading 17-3. The Saints need to get the ball moving to have any chance of a last quarter comeback.
Tua tucks and runs on 3rd and short and Tua got crushed trying to get to the marker. He was stopped short and the Dolphins will punt.
Saints will take over from their own 29 yard line, with 28 second to go.
Here come the Dolphins, who can close the door on the Saints with a field goal or a touchdown. The Saints haveb't showed they are able to make a comeback from three scores down in the fourth quarter.
The Saints march down the field was short lived, as Humphrey picks up 6 yards on 3rd and 12.
The punt will leave the Dolphins at their 20 with under 3 minutes to go in the 3rd.
Kamara picks up 10 yards on the first play of the drive, and that's the longest run he's rattled off all night.
TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS!!!
Waddle on the misdirection shovel pass and Waddle dives into the endzone after the 1 yard TD reception.
Dolphins finally get an offensive touchdown and that stretches the lead to 17-3.
On 3rd and 2 from the 3 the Saints come up with the stop, but a roughing the passer penalty will give the Dolphins a 1st down from inside the 2. Painful penalty to give up for the Saints defense that hasn't given up a TD in 10 quarter.
Johnson finally breaks a run, he gains 10 and Miami is at the 11 yard line.
Miami using some trickeration to move the ball down the field. They run the flea flicker and Tua hits Waddle for 24 yards! 1st and 10 Dolphins from the NO 21.
What a catch and what a throw!!! Tua let loose a 40 yard toss down the right sideline that feel into the hands of Hollins!!! Biggest gain of the night for the Dolphins!
Saints will challenge the ruling on the field.
Book is dropped for the fifth time tonight, this time on 3rd and 8. New Orleans will have to punt as this game is going to become a battle for field position with two struggling offenses.
MIA take over from their own 14 after the punt.
Book hits Callaway over the middle, and that looks to be his favorite target over the course of the first couple quarters and some change.
INTERCEPTION SAINTS!!!
Tua overthrows Hollins and Lattimore was waiting with open arms. NO get their first turnover, and have their best field goal position of the night as they start from their own 36.
The Dolphins take over for the first time in the second half, and they will have to be much better on the offensive end as well.
Miami has moved the ball better than the Saints, but not by much.
The Saints go 3 and out again, and Miami gets the ball back on their 24 less than a minute and a half into the second half.
We are back in action from New Orleans! The Saints will start with the ball and they have a chance to tie the game up after a miserable first half on the offensive end.
Saints stats
Book is 5/7 for 52 yards, with that pick six on the opening drive of the night. He has also been sacked 3 times.
Kamara and Ingram have combined for a total of 32 yards on 10 carries.
Callaway has 28 yards on 2 catches.
Dolphins stats
Tua is 14/17 for 116 yards,
Waddle has 7 of those recpetions for 62 yards,
Johnson has 18 yards on 5 carriers.
The Saints defense is keeping New Orleans in this game. Miami had to settle for a field goal after this sack and fumble.
Book's second pass of his NFL career went for a touchdown. Unfortunatley for his it went to the Miami Dolphins.
Sanders misses the 59 yard field goal and that will end a first half that has been dominated by defense.
Tua is dropped in the backfield by Jordan and that 9 yard loss may take the Dolphins out of field goal range. Miami will take a 60 yard FG to end the half. Sanders career high is 56.
The play stands after a lengthy review. 2nd and 2 coming up from the NO 32.
Smythe with a catch over the middle, and that's good for 13 yards. The clock continued to run but the refs want to take another look at the catch which will stop the clock.
A holding call on Dieter brings up 1st and 15 for the Dolphins from the NO 45.
Waddle with his seventh catch of the first half, as he picks up 17 yards and gets the Dolphins to the NO 40 with a minute remaining.
Beautiful play out of the timeout, Waddle was wide open out of the backfield and he picks up 9 yards and gets out of bounds.
Dolphins take a timeout with 1:12 to go on 3rd and 1.
We are at the Two Minute Warning in New Orleans. Dolphins will have 2nd and 1 from their 34 yard line looking to extend the lead before half.
FIELD GOAL SAINTS!!!
The Saints looked like they were going to go for it on 4th and 2 from the MIA 15, but a delay of game pushes them backto 4th and 7.
Sean Peyton brings out Maher, who hits the 38 yard field goal
The Saint are on the board with 2:45 to go in the half.
Kamara with another first down, this time off the screen pass and the Saints get an extra 15 yards after the roughing the passer penalty.
1st and 10 from the MIA 23.
NO changing up the look, and going wildcat with Kamara. That's good for a first down and the Saints are at midfield.
Callaway pick up some yards after the catch for a first down on the opening play of the drive. Let's see if the Saints can get something going on this drive.
They have to keep pounding the ball on the ground, even tho the Dolphins know it's coming.
Linday gets 2 on the direct snap, and that will bring up 4th down after the penalty made it 3rd and long.
The Saints defense is keeping New Orleans in the game, but Book and the rest of the offense need to show signs of life.
Saints take over from the 25 with 7:24 to go in the half.
Tua going back to his favorite taget, Waddle, for the 9 yard gain on thrid and short, but a holding call will erase the play and bring the Dolphins back to the 26 and bring up 3rd and 12.
Book tries to scramble to the marker on 3rd down, but he comes up short of the first down.
A late personal fout flag against Kamara will push the Saints back to their 24 for the punt.
Back to back completions by Book, this time to Humphrey for 8 yards, and the rookie is starting to look a little more comfortable
Finally the Saints get a first down as Book hits Callaway for 17 yards
Brissett came under center on 3rd and 1, and came up short of the marker on the roll out and QB keeper.
On the replay it looked like he might have got enough for the first down, but Miami decline to challenge it.
Saints will get the ball back on their 17 looking for their first first down of the game.
The Dolphins pick up the first down with a pitch pass to Lewis for 7 yards. Miami have 7 first downs, the Saint don't have one yet.
We are at the end of the first quarter and the Dolphins came out hot on the defensive end. The Needham pick six put the first points of the night on the board, and the defense has shut out the Saints since.
The Saints go three and out again after Book is sacked on 3rd down. The Dolphins show they are going to stack the box with 10 or 11 defenders and make Book beat them in the air. So far it's working for Miami.
MIA takes over from their own 26 with 11 seconds to go in the opening quarter.
FIELD GOAL DOLPHINS!!!
Tua got crushed from behind in the backfield and the ball popped out of his hands. The Dolphins were able to recover with Jackson making jumping on the fumble. A loss of 16 on the play will make the field goal a bit tougher for Miami.
Sanders comes on and hits the 48 yard field goal, and the Dolphins are up 10-0 in the first quarter.
Tua hits Smythe for another first down and the Dolphins are in the red zone. Tua is 7/8 to start the night, and so far he has been going with easy, low risk, short passes to his receivers.
Big series for both teams right now. The Saints can't afford to go down 14 with a rookie quarterback under center.
Lindsay out of the wildcat formation picks up two yards on 3rd and 1. The ball came out, but well after Lindsay was down by contact.
Tua hits Waddle on the out route on third down and Tua showing some strength with his arm on the first down pass. Remember he gets the ball out quick than almost anyone in the league. He's not afraid to make those quick decisions.
Dolphins in NO territory with under 6 to go i the 1st quarter.
The Saints D makes a mistake after a Def PI, and that will give the Dolphins a free 5 yards, and an automatic first down.
The Dolphins offense will take over from their own 31. Let's see if they have more success moving the ball on this drive.
Miami's defense is going to make it a long night for Book if the first two possessions are any indication. They get a sack on 3rd and 6 and the Saints go 3 and out on their second possession.
It can't get any worse for Book tonight, so he's going to have to shake that pick sick off and keep playing. His character will be tested after that early punch thrown by the Dolphins.
TOUCHDOWN DOLPHINS!!!
Book's second pass of the night is picked off and taken to the house by Needham. He made the catch and took it 28 yard to the house!
A nightmare start for the rookie who left that ball well behind Humphrey. Dolphins lead 7-0 early on.
Book's first pass in the NFL is complete to Wolf for a gain of 4 yards, and that's what the Saints need to to with book tonight. Short, secure passes.
Book takes the field ready to take his first snap of his NFL career. Can he play the hero for the Saints tonight?
Don't expect too many points in this game. These are two of the top defenses in the league. The Dolphins have allowed less than 14 points a game over the thier six game win streak, and the Saints have given up a total of 9 points in the last two games.
Tua was pressured for the first time on 3rd down around and can't complete the pass over the middle to Gaskin, and the Saints will get the ball from the NO 17 after the punt.
Waddle makes the short catch out of the backfield and picks up the first down and gets 15 yards tacked on to the play after a personal foul penalty on Lattimore.
Tua goes to the air on the first two plays, and completes both but for short gains, 3rd and 2 coming up.
We are underway from New Orleans, and the Dolphins will start the game with the ball after the Saints win the toss and diffeer.
According to Bet365.com the Dolphins are 3 point favorites, with the Over/Under set at 37.5.
We are five minutes away from kickoff in New Orleans!
Book was taken by the Saints in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Notre Dame
Saints in mix against all odds
Sean Peyton’s team has had plenty of adversity to overcome this season. Future Hall of Fame Drew Brees retired last season, and just when the Saints were starting to catch a rhythm their new quarterback Jameis Winston went down with a season ending knee surgery. Taysom Hill has started the last three games at quarterback for the Saints, and he is 2-1 in that span.
Saints beat Bucs for second time
The Saints are coming off of a shocking shutout over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That makes it two wins in the last two against the defending champions. New Orleans lost five straight before beating the Jets and then the Bucs over the last two weeks.
Dolphins dominant defense
The 24 points the Dolphins gave up to the Jets last week was the most they have allowed in their six game win streak. Over the course of the last month and a half the Miami defense is giving up less than 14 points a game.
Dolphins taking advantage of easy schedule
The Dolphins last win came in Miami when they beat the Jets 31-24. Tua Tagovailoa threw for two touchdowns and two interception on 16/27 passing for 196 yards. Duke Johnson was key in the Dolphins victory running for 107 yards on 22 carries.
Miami is red hot
The Dolphins are one of the hottest teams in the NFC, having won their last six. It’s true that the Dolphins schedule over the last month in a half has been the easiest of any team in the NFL, but Miami has won every game they have had to and launched them into playoff position.
Massive implications on the line tonight in NO
Hello everyone and welcome to New Orleans for Monday Night Football! When the schedule makers set this game for prime time at the beginning of the season I doubt they though it would play such a big role in how the playoff picture played out in the AFC and NFC. Both teams are more than in the mix for the post season, and the winner of tonight’s game will take a big step towards the playoffs.
Dolphins vs. Saints
The Miami Dolphins take their six game win streak on the road to take on the New Orleans Saints in a Monday Night matchup loaded with playoff implications. AS English will be with you through the night with live stats, scores, and analysis on tonight’s spotlight game from the the Caesar Super Dome.