Live blog: Saints 46, Dolphins 34; Miami blows 21-point lead

(I’ll be doing a live chat at 1 p.m. Monday to discuss today’s game and next week’s rematch with the Jets. Click here to ask a question.) MIAMI GARDENS – In a little more than 15 minutes, the 2-3 Dolphins will get back in the playoff race with a win against the NFL’s hottest team. Figuratively and literally … because the 5-0 Saints are decked out in black uniforms in heat index pushing 100 degrees. It’s 89 degrees, with 57-percent, 2 mph winds out of the west. On the Dolphins’ side, the pass defense will be feeling the heat facing Saints QB Drew Brees, the NFL’s top-rated QB and leader of the highest-scoring offense (38.4 points a game). In an effort to slow down Brees and Co., the Dolphins activated rookie safety Chris Clemons for the first time, possibly for use in some dime packages. Clemons, a fifth-round pick out of Clemson, ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and showed a nose for the ball in the pre-season. Miami’s defense will have its work cut out for it. The Saints are 7-point favorites and will get the ball to open the game. First quarter – For the first time this season, Saints fail to score on their opening possession. A tackle for loss by SS Yeremiah Bell and a false-start penalty were the Saints’ undoing. But New Orleans got Miami to burn a timeout on 4th-and-2 when the Saints’ punt team lined up in a weird formation. – Replay equipment malfunction gives Dolphins their first first down. Even if reviews had shown it wasn’t a catch, Davone Bess has incomparable body control and the best hands on the team besides Greg Camarillo. – On the first play of the Saints second drive, LB Joey Porter has been pulled off the field again, not part of the defensive package even though he’s healthy. – Saints’ extremely sloppy for league’s top offense, two false starts and a delay of game in less than 10 plays. – With Jason Taylor in his face, Brees just chucks one, misses Devery Henderson by a mile and Dolphins’ dime back Tyrone Culver makes him pay with second career pick, followed by a 23-yard return to Saints’ 4. TD by Ricky Williams on next play makes Dolphins first team to hold a lead on the Saints all season. – Rookie CB Vontae Davis’ TD-saving shoestring tackle on ensuing KO forced Saints to settle for a FG. – Yeremiah Bell is coming to play, has a TFL and 1 1/2 sack. – Ricky Williams’ 68-yard TD was a career long. It’s the first 2-TD game by Ricky since Nov. 23, 2003 against Washington. A nice pull by Justin Smiley and a block down field by Camarillo sprung Williams. – Lou Polite with another short first-down run (5-of-5 this season) to end a looonnnggg first quarter. Second quarter – Brees enters the second quarter with 22 passing yards and an INT, has to be his worst 15 minutes of the season. – Rookie QB Pat White to open 2nd quarter, runs the option, loses 3 yards. What was the point of that? – Following Dan Carpenter’s kick for a 17-3 lead, Miami has an 11:55-6:44 edge in time of possession. – FS Gibril Wilson had his best two-play sequence of the season … a pass defensed along the sideline against Reggie Bush and a tipped passed that led to an INT by Reggie Torbor … his first since 2005. – Ex-UM star Jonathan Vilma whiffs on a tackle for loss on Ronnie Brown’s TD. – Jason Taylor looked like he was 28 again, just completely blowing LT Jermon Bushrod for a sack and forced fumble. JT has been in Brees’ face all day. – Didn’t expect the Saints’ D to be a top-10 unit, but had much higher hopes for the Saints’ offense. Figured this to be a shootout. – Jason Allen with his second nice special teams tackles of the day. Everything is clicking for the Dolphins. – The call on Bess’s fumble seemed to be correct and could be a game-changer. The Saints were down 24-3 and dead in the water,

but managed to score on the final play of the half to trail 24-10. If not for the officials’ review on Marques Coltson’s catch, the clock would have run out. It was a near-perfect performance by the Dolphins prior to then. But Miami still looks like its the better team today. Third quarter – I didn’t even have time to get my customary halftime hot dog things have been so wild during the past 15 minutes. Might have saved me a coronary one day, but the Dolphins are going to give Tony Sparano one. In less than three minutes of action, the Dolphins have gone from routing the Saints to being in serious trouble, clinging to a 24-17. Ted Ginn Jr.’s lack of aggressiveness winning the ball continues to hold back him – and the Dolphins. – Saints’ FS Darren Sharper now has 11 return TDs and 60 interceptions. Never thought of him as a Hall of Famer, but those are some serious #s. Sharper’s TD, of course, was reviewed, don’t remember the last time I’ve seen so many plays reviewed. – Nickel back Nate Jones (5-10, 185) is hanging tough New Orleans WR Marques Colston (6-4, 225). Sweet pick in the end zone to halt the Saints’ momentum. On second thought after his 10-yard TD, Colston is a beast and Jones is overmatched. – Joey Porter’s half sack is the first time he’s gotten to the QB since Week 3, while JT forced a fumble for the second time today, second two-sack game this season, giving him 24 in his career. Saints now have four turnovers … and they’re right there. – Will Allen is out of the game with an injury to his balky left knee. Rookie Vontae Davis replaces him. Allen’s return is questionable. – 3 TDs for Ricky Williams, though he should give this ball to rookie WR Brian Hartline, who had a 67-yard catch to set it up. Fourth quarter – Brees 3 INTS, 5 sacks. In the Saints’ first 5 games: 2 INTS, 4 sacks. – On Jeremy Shockey’s 56-yard catch, Davis showed he was a rookie trying to tackle him high despite giving up 48 pounds and six inches. Worse, Gibril Wilson stood and watched instead of jumping in as Shockey slowed down. – Leading 34-31, quarterback Chad Henne made some shaky decisions there. Looks like he was trying to do too much. Where’s the running game? – This Saints’ offense is relentless. Miami had Brees and Co. bottled-up and frustrated until the finale play of the first half. Now the Dolphins can’t contain the Saints, who’ve scored TDs on their last three possessions. – Are you kidding me? Anthony Fasano just dropped that pass after Ronnie Brown’s awesome individual effort. Fasano has been a big disappointment. – With 5 minutes to go, Drew Brees in the second half: 10 of 15, 194 yards, 1 TD, 1 pick. Shows why he and Peyton Manning are the best right now. Brees had seven straight completions prior to an incompletion to Shockey on 2nd-and-4 from Miami 17. – Take away Hartline’s 67-yard catch and Miami has 14 yards of second-half offense with 3:23 remaining and the Saints ahead 40-34. – First Fasano, then Ted Ginn Jr. with a huge drop. Fans booed Ginn after he dropped a 2nd-and-3 pass on the Miami 40. Not big on booing, but hard to blame ‘em for this one. – I assume fans aren’t happy by the call, but Camarillo did intentionally fumble the ball out of bounds, a la “The Holy Roller.” Officials got it right. – Those who’d anointed Chad Henne following his impressive performance against the Jets need to chalk this up as a learning experience. Henne didn’t make any memorable throws and a slew of bad decisions. But he didn’t get much help either. Either way, Henne was 5 of 19 for 102 yards and two pick-sixes in the second half. – Dolphins’ lose a 21-point lead and now have six of 10 games on the road as they try get back into the playoff hunt. This loss hurts.

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Live blog: Saints 46, Dolphins 34; Miami blows 21-point lead

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