Who would have thought that when the NFL schedule came out in the spring that the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints would arrive at this week’s Monday night showdown with identical 3-0 records?
Well, if this season’s meeting between the clubs is as entertaining as their previous encounter four years ago, everyone is in for a fascinating evening.
That year, the Saints were also undefeated (5-0) as they got ready to face Miami. Meanwhile, the defending AFC East champion Dolphins had dropped their first three games of the season but were now in the final leg of a three-game home stand. But things had been better as of late as Tony Sparano’s club had rebounded with wins over the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. A victory over the visiting Saints would put the team back at .500.
It certainly looked like that way early on for Sparano and company. One-time Saints’ running back Ricky Williams would score a pair of first-half touchdowns and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees wound up throwing a pair of first-half interceptions as the Dolphins jumped out to a 24-3 second-quarter lead.
Just before the end of the half, things suddenly became interesting. With less than two minutes before intermission and Miami driving again, quarterback Chad Henne completed a pass to wide receiver Davone Bess. But the wideout fumbled and the Saints set up shop at their own 49 yard line with 1:38 left in the quarter. Brees capped off a 51-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown sneak with two seconds left before halftime to cut the deficit to 24-10.
Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Miami made another crucial mistake. An errant Henne pass wound up in the hands of safety Darren Sharper, who returned the ball 42 yards for a score. Suddenly, it was a 24-17 ball game with a ton of time left.
The Dolphins would tack on a field goal midway through the quarter and then the team exchanged touchdowns. Sean Payton’s club found itself down 34-4 with 15 minutes to play.
But the Saints would own the rest of the game, scoring the final 22 points thanks to touchdown runs by running back Reggie Bush and Brees. The latter gave his team a 37-34 lead with less than 10 minutes to play but kicker John Carney would miss the PAT. Minutes later, Carney would connect on a 20-yard field goal and Saints cornerback Tracy Porter capped off the scoring by picking off Henne and returning in 54 yards for a touchdown.
The 46-34 victory by New Orleans was indeed stirring. But it was the first of two visits to South Florida that season. And as all Saints’ fans know, the second trip to Miami (a 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV) was the crowning achievement of a magnificent season. And the aforementioned Porter would make his presence felt with another interception return for a score, this time at the expense of Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
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