NFL: Dolphins turnaround reaches new heights with huge win over Saints

New Orleans, Louisiana - The Miami Dolphins have extended their winning streak to seven games as they defeated the depleted New Orleans Saints 20-3 in Monday Night Football.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Zack Baun desperately tries to keep a hold of running back Duke Johnson (r.) as the Dolphins ran away with the win.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Zack Baun desperately tries to keep a hold of running back Duke Johnson (r.) as the Dolphins ran away with the win.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

The result keeps the Dolphins' playoffs hopes alive as they improve to 8-7, while the Saints – who were without 22 players on Covid/reserve list – slump to 7-8. This marks the longest Dolphins' win streak since 1985.

The Dolphins also bizarrely become the first NFL team with a seven-game winning streak and a seven-game losing streak in the same season as they continue their remarkable turnaround.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa threw 19 of 26 passes for 198 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Tagovailoa has the highest completion percentage of any QB since Week Nine with 74%.

Debutant Saints QB Ian Book had a tougher time, with his first-quarter pass leading to a pick six from Nik Needham.

Book completed 12 of 20 passes for 135 yards with two interceptions and was sacked eight times. The fourth-choice Saints quarterback was the first QB to be sacked eight or more times in his NFL debut since Cincinnati Bengals' David Klingler in 1992 (10).

Needham's touchdown helped the Dolphins lead 10-0 at quarter-time but they had to wait until the third quarter for Jaylen Waddle to cross for their second TD.

Waddle finished the game with 10 receptions for 92 yards, breaking the record for most receiving yards by a Dolphins rookie, going past Chris Chambers' 2001 mark of 883 yards.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

More on NFL: