New Orleans Saints 46 @ Miami Dolphins 34 4th Qrt

Saints @ Dolphins
Sunday, October 25, 2009
3:15 PM CT
LandShark Stadium; Miami, Fla.
FOX


Saints vs Dolphins Preview

Sunday’s matchup will come against a rested Miami squad coming off of a bye that has
rebounded in the AFC East with two straight victories. With 15 takeaways on defense and special teams combined with only six giveaways, the Saints are ranked first in the NFL in turnover ratio at +9. The Saints are currently ranked first in the NFL in total offense, fourth running the ball and seventh passing. They lead the league in scoring with 38.4 points per game, featuring three outputs of 45 points or more on the year. The defense is ranked ninth in the league, tied for 14th against the pass and ranked fifth versus the run. They are tied for ninth in scoring defense. The Saints are tied atop the league rankings with 11 interceptions after recording only 15 in 2008.

The New Orleans defense will feature a challenging test on the ground from the NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense in Miami powered by the running back tandem of Ronnie Brown and former Saint Ricky Williams. The Dolphins feature a defense that is tenth in the league rankings, and ranked third against the run.

SERIES HISTORY: The Saints and Dolphins have met nine times in the regular season, with Miami holding a 6-3 all-time series edge. The Dolphins have captured the last two contests. The Saints will have a chance to break the regular season series skid against Miami when they travel to Land Shark Stadium on October 25.

The two teams first faced off in 1970, as the Saints lost 21-10 in a game played at the historic Orange Bowl. The Saints would lose two more contests to the Dolphins before finally breaking through with a 17-7 victory over the fins on Oct. 2, 1983 at the Louisiana Superdome. After losing the next game in 1986, the Saints won the next two and have lost the last two meetings between the clubs, including a 21-6 loss on Oct. 20, 2005, the team’s return to Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in a contest played at LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. The Saints have never beaten the Dolphins in Miami.

LAST MEETING : Miami Dolphins 21, Saint 6, Tiger Stadium, Oct. 30, 2005 – Miami K Olindo Mare kicked four field goals and QB Gus Frerotte tossed a touchdown as Miami erased an early deficit and spoiled the Saints’ return to Louisiana. The early lead for the Saints was erased by three Mare FGs to give the Dolphins a 9-3 advantage at halftime. The Saints closed it to 9-6 in the third quarter on a season-long 49-yard field goal by K John Carney, but Miami scored the game’s last 12 points to leave the outcome no longer in doubt.