Saints Fall Flat in Return Home
Raucous Tiger Stadium crowd dissappointed as home team flounders

posted October 30, 2005 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com
By Chris Pika - courtesy of neworleanssaints.com

BATON ROUGE, La.--Olindo Mare kicked four field goals and Gus Frerotte threw for a score as Miami defeated New Orleans, 21-6 in Tiger Stadium in the Saints' return game to Louisiana.

Miami (3-4) erased an early 3-0 lead by New Orleans (2-6) and used three Mare field goals for a 9-3 lead at halftime. The Saints closed to 9-6 in the third quarter on a season-long 49-yard field goal by K John Carney, but the Dolphins scored the game's last 12 points to pull away.

Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown rushed 23 times for 106 yards while Frerotte completed 16-of-28 passes for 168 yards.

The Saints took a 3-0 lead the first time they had the ball. New Orleans took over at their 32 after a punt. After a two-yard gain by RB Antowain Smith, Brooks hit WR Donte' Stallworth for 10 yards and WR Joe Horn for 12 more to the Dolphins 41. The next play, Brooks handed off to Smith, who got out to the outside for a 23-yard pickup to the 18.

On third-and-eight at the 16, the Dolphins were called for a defensive holding call which gave the Saints an automatic first down at the 11. Two incomplete passes, sandwiched around a two-yard gain by Smith led to a 26-yard field goal by Carney with 6:48 to play in the quarter.

Miami tied the game late in the quarter after a freak play allowed them to re-gain possession in Saints territory. On third-and-four at the Saints' 6, Frerotte threw a pass down the middle in the end zone, which was tipped by a Saints defender and intercepted by S Dwight Smith two yards deep in the end zone. He returned the ball 28 yards out to the New Orleans 26, but tripped over a teammate and the ball popped free. Miami T Vernon Carey recovered at the 29 with 3:47 left.

Seven plays later, the Saints defense forced a 37-yard field goal by Mare with 33 seconds to go for a 3-3 tie.

Mare's second field goal of the game, a 36-yarder with 7:18 left in the second quarter gave the Dolphins a 6-3 advantage. Frerotte converted a pair of third downs with passes to WR Marty Booker for 12 yards to the Saints' 45 and a nine-yard toss to Brown to the New Orleans 31. Miami got inside the New Orleans red zone, but a pair of Frerotte incomplete passes led to Mare's field goal.

Miami got the ball back with 1:43 left in the first half at their 40 and drove to a 9-3 lead on Mare's third field goal of the game, a 41-yarder as time expired, which capped a eight-play drive.

The Saints used a fumble recovery to cut the Dolphins lead to 9-6 late in the third quarter. On third-and-18 at the Dolphins' 34, Frerotte was sacked by DE Darren Howard and fumbled. Howard tracked down the loose ball and recovered for New Orleans at the Dolphins' 29 with 4:42 to go.

New Orleans was called for a 10-yard penalty for offensive holding on first down and the Saints could only get back to the 31, where Carney made his second field goal of the game, a season-long 49-yarder with 3:37 to play.

The Dolphins defense extended the lead to 11-6 with 1:52 left in the third quarter. The Saints took over at their 15 after a Miami punt. QB Aaron Brooks fumbled the ball in the backfield on first down for a seven-yard loss to the Saints' 8. After an incomplete pass, Brooks was flushed from the pocket and tackled for a safety in the end zone by Miami DE Kevin Carter.

The Saints free kicked after the safety and the Dolphins took over at their 49. Frerotte threw a 20-yard strike to WR Marty Booker to the Saints 31 on the first play of the drive. Williams had rushes of 16, 4 and -1 yards which set up third-and-seven at the Saints' 12. Frerotte lofted a pass which was hauled in by WR Chris Chambers for the touchdown and a 18-6 lead with 14:09 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Mare's fourth field goal of the game, a 46-yarder with 9:28 to play, pushed the Miami lead to 21-6.

Brooks was 14-of-31 passing for 181 yards and ran six times for 34 yards for the Saints. Horn caught seven passes for 99 yards.

Miami out-gained New Orleans, 342-203. The Saints were 0-for-11 on third down conversions while the Dolphins were 7-of-18 for 39 percent.

The Saints play the second of four home games in Baton Rouge next Sunday (Nov. 6) as they take on the Chicago Bears (3:05 pm CT; FOX, WWL 870-AM, KGLA 1540-AM [Spanish], Saints Radio Network) in LSU's Tiger Stadium.

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