New Orleans Saints @ Miami Dolphins: Game Preview

by Saintsational on Oct 21, 2009 12:15 PM CDT Comment 20 comments

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-0) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-3)

SERIES

	SAINTS	DOLPHINS
SERIES LEADER		6-3
STREAKS		Past 2
COACHES VS. OPP.	Payton: 0-0	Sparano: 0-0
LAST WEEK	W 48-27 vs. Giants	Bye (Wk. 5: W 31-27 vs. Jets)
LAST GAME	10/30/05: Dolphins 21 at Saints 6 in Baton Rouge. Miami defense registers 6 sacks & records safety. Game was 1st played in Louisiana by New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
LAST GAME AT SITE	11/29/98: Dolphins 30, Saints 10. Miami QB Dan Marino passes for 255 yards & 3 TDs - all to WR O.J. McDuffie (22, 7, 9) - as Dolphins improve to 9-4.
BROADCAST	FOX (4:15 PM ET): Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, Jaime Maggio (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Dan Reeves. SIRIUS: 130 (NO), 127 (Mia.). XM: 104 (Mia.).

STATS

PASSING	Brees: 110-159-1,400 (3C)-13 (1C)-2-118.4 (1L)	Henne: 44-67-448-3-1-93.4
RUSHING	P. Thomas: 48-284-5.9-3	R. Brown: 93-443-4.8-6 (T2C)
RECEIVING	Colston: 25-394-15.8-4 (T3L)	Bess: 23-175-7.6-0
OFFENSE	430.0 (1L)	340.0
TAKE/GIVE	+9 (1L)	-3
DEFENSE	301.2	301.4
SACKS	Grant: 4	Taylor: 3.5
INTs	Sharper: 5 (1L)	W. Allen: 2
PUNTING	Morstead (R): 43.9	Fields: 44.5
KICKING	Carney: 42 (24/25 PAT; 6/7 FG)	Carpenter: 34 (13/13 PAT; 7/8 FG)

NOTES

SAINTS: Average 38.4 points per game, most in NFL...7 different Saints scored rush or rec. TD last week. QB DREW BREES has won 5 in row vs. AFC. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 15,310 pass yards. Reached 15,000 yards with NO in 53 games, fastest in NFL history with 1 team. Had 369 yards, 4 TDs & 156.8 rating last week...RB-PR REGGIE BUSH has 26 career TDs (14 rush, 8 rec, 4 PR) & is only Saint to score via rush, rec. & PR. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 12 TDs (9 rush) in past 10. Has 402 scrimmage yards (134 per game) & 4 TDs in past 3 vs. AFC...WR MARQUES COLSTON had 8 catches for 166 yards & TD last week. Has 8 TDs in past 8. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY has 443 receptions since 2002, 3rd most in NFL among TEs...S DARREN SHARPER has 10 INT-TDs, 2nd most all-time. Has 97- & 99-yard INT-TD this year, only player in history with 2 95+ yard INT-TDs in season. S ROMAN HARPER had sack & FF last week. LB JONATHAN VILMA's teams are 6-1 vs. Mia. DE WILL SMITH had sack in last meeting...

DOLPHINS: Club has 12-8 (.600) record after bye...Team aims for 3rd consecutive win at home...Miami averages NFL-high 177 rush yards per game...In 2 career starts, QB CHAD HENNE has completed 34 of 48 passes (70.8 pct.) for 356 yards with 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 112.8 rating...RB RONNIE BROWN averages 108.3 rush yards per game at home in '09 (325 total) & aims for 3rd consecutive game with 2 rush TDs. RB RICKY WILLIAMS is averaging 5.2 rush yards per carry in '09 (61 att., 316 yards). Totaled 138 yards last game (68 rush, 70 rec.). Williams spent 3 seasons with NO (1999-2001)...WR TED GINN, JR. posted 1st TD of '09 on 53-yard rec. last game...TE ANTHONY FASONO posted 1st TD of season in last game...DE RANDY STARKS aims for 3rd consecutive game with sack...DE JASON TAYLOR leads active players with 124 sacks. Has 16.5 sacks against Jets (most vs. any opponent) & has 7 sacks in past 6 vs. NYJ...S YEREMIAH BELL (6) needs 1 sack to surpass LIFFORT HOBLEY for most by DB in franchise history.

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Comments

Best part of all this info:

No Fakeman calling the game.

:-)

Irony: An atheist Saints fan.

by GSO Saints Fan on Oct 21, 2009 12:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I was

just about to say the same thing. Fakeman is such a hater its makes you wanna yak. But this seems like it will be a good game as well. MIA Defense is good. especially on the run but if the O-line does what they did last game and gives him at least 2.5 to 3 seconds in the pocket Brees will pick them apart. Oh and just a though…. am I the only one who thinks that Reggie should run back Kicks and Punts. I think he’ll be more productive if he did.

Get ready to FEEL DAT BREES!!!

by born in areacode 318 on Oct 21, 2009 1:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Aikman's opposite

Charles Davis has had hard-on for the Saints all year. Should be fun to listen to him gush about the offense.

And yes, I think Reggie would actually be better at kick returns than punt returns. It would give him more time and room to do his thing. But it ain’t gonna happen. Payton is too afraid of him getting injured.

by HB-NOLA on Oct 22, 2009 9:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

FOX in North Louisiana choosing the Cowgirl's again.

Can we start a petition for legislation requiring Saints coverage on game day? Any legislator’s on here? I’m sure it would mean automatic re-election.

"He's going to have so many balls he might have to sell them back to Wilson when he retires,"

-Silky Powell, Saints equipment manager

by Ponysaints on Oct 21, 2009 1:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Man, that is like a different state up there.

They should just secede…

by Hollywoo! on Oct 21, 2009 2:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that's so criminal

by jful on Oct 21, 2009 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My concern about this game

is echoed in this write-up on WalterFootball.com:

I think this is a terrible spot for the Saints. They’re coming off an emotional home statement victory against the Giants. After the Dolphins, whom they’re expected to easily handle (according to Vegas and the public action on this game), they battle the hated Falcons on Monday night.
This is just a weird game for New Orleans. The Dolphins are a non-conference foe they see every four years, so they’re not too familiar with their style of offense or their personnel. And really, if the Saints lose this contest, it’s not a huge deal. Next week’s tilt versus Atlanta is the one that really matters.
Meanwhile, the emotional edge will clearly be on Miami’s side. The Dolphins are a team that began the year 0-3 because they ran into three very tough opponents (and played them all close, by the way). Now, they’ve won two in a row and are gaining confidence. This is clearly a much bigger game for Miami than it is for New Orleans, as falling to 2-4 and two games behind New England will make qualifying for the playoffs improbable.

I’m afraid it’s true and I don’t like that they may have the psychological edge. I hope Atlanta isn’t looming so large for us that we lose sight of this game. And everyone is picking us to win so it makes me even more nervous… I’m not used to these expectations of success!!!

by jful on Oct 21, 2009 2:32 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Don't be concerned

Payton knows all too well that he can’t afford to overlook anyone, ANYONE, on the schedule this early on. That includes Miami. In order to secure a playoff spot, we have to accumulate as many wins as we can as soon as we can. Although us fans may place a little more emphasis on beating some teams than others, I think Payton knows it’s a numbers game and each game only counts for one win or one loss, and that could be the difference between making and missing the playoffs. Trust me, our team will not overlook the “easy” ones.

by ArithMattic on Oct 21, 2009 2:50 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Statement game

Last week’s win over the Giants was a big statement game for us. It showed the rest of the country that there is excellent football being played in cities other than New York, Boston and the like.

Miami can look at this as a huge statement game of their own. They want to show that those early losses against good teams could have swung either way and they’d be considered among the league’s best. A win on Sunday for the Dolphins would set them up for a repeat of last year where they struggled out of the gate only to finish 11-5.

I agree that this game can be a LOT closer than people think. It may hinge on a single play. Be it a turnover or poor special teams coverage on a kick. Momentum will be a huge factor also.

No, I’m not a negative person – just a realist.

by WhoDat_OH on Oct 21, 2009 3:49 PM CDT via mobile reply actions 0 recs

I know a lot of people talk about Miami’s wildcat plays but I think a lot of people tend to forget that those wildcat plays allows them to control the clock. I just hope that Payton and Brees comes up with a good strategy for that.

Yes, time flies. And where did it leave you? Old too soon...smart too late. - Mike Tyson

by lovingmma25 on Oct 21, 2009 4:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree that

the wildcat can control the clock. I do think that our run defense and pass offense will help us pull a win out. Miami will play hard though and I don’t think Payton will over look that. Oh and a key thing to remember about Miami and controlling the clock with the wildcat is that when they did it against the Colts, their pass offense was still able to get downfield and score at will even though the Dolphins had the ball for almost the whole game. But Henne has a better arm than Pennington but I think out pass defense will be able to handle him better than the Jets did.

Get ready to FEEL DAT BREES!!!

by born in areacode 318 on Oct 22, 2009 10:47 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The strategy is GW. Our D is tight and together right now. too smart for the wildsplat (sound of Vilma attacking Ricky). No worries. It was great hearing Fakeman talk about how miserable his playing days were in the dome, and the entire 4th qtr all he could say was how good the saints are. he must have had a tear in his eye. ha ha!

by #9-alltime on Oct 21, 2009 4:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

please dont embarese us, please

Self-proclaimed president of the Pat White and Brian Hartline fan club.
No hating on Jay Fiedler, please.
Official Back-Up Phinsider LOL'er.
The one and only "ho-nerd"

by samdaman on Oct 21, 2009 8:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

how the hell do u speel embarese?

Self-proclaimed president of the Pat White and Brian Hartline fan club.
No hating on Jay Fiedler, please.
Official Back-Up Phinsider LOL'er.
The one and only "ho-nerd"

by samdaman on Oct 21, 2009 8:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

embarass?

by jack_casse on Oct 21, 2009 11:31 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think...

by jack_casse on Oct 21, 2009 11:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/embarrass

Wanna say something? Sign up! It's free!

by Saintsational on Oct 22, 2009 12:04 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

damn....

it’s got two “R’s”. I thought it looked funny.

by jack_casse on Oct 22, 2009 8:28 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You can right-click on a word you’re trying to spell, and it’ll give you suggestions. Also, reading this conversation is amusing.

"Brees will kill you, but he lets you decide how fast he tightens the garrote." -Chris Brown

by FuSoYa on Oct 22, 2009 8:56 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If you keep getting the red editorial underline, just highlight the word in question, and right-click on it, and the word processor will give you a list of words it thinks you’re trying to spell.

"Brees will kill you, but he lets you decide how fast he tightens the garrote." -Chris Brown

by FuSoYa on Oct 22, 2009 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs