MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
CAESARS SUPERDOME
DEC. 27, 2021 | 8:15 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
DOLPHINS WIN SEVENTH IN A ROW WITH WIN OVER SAINTS ON MNF
• This is Miami’s seventh consecutive victory. It’s the first time the Dolphins have won seven straight games since Nov. 10, 1985 to Dec. 22, 1985.
o The Dolphins are the first team in NFL history to orchestrate a seven-game winning streak after a sevengame losing streak in the same season.
o It’s the ninth time the Dolphins have won at least seven straight games in team history and the first time it’s happened under a coach that was not Don Shula.
• This is Miami’s first win over the Saints since Oct. 30, 2005 and the Dolphins’ first win at the Superdome since Dec. 7, 1986.
• It’s Miami’s 43rd all-time win on Monday Night Football, the fourth-most in NFL history.
• The Dolphins have taken the all-time series lead with the Saints, 7-6.
• It’s Miami’s ninth win in December since Brian Flores became head coach in 2019, giving him a 9-3 record in the month.
• The Dolphins are now 19-7 in games played after Halloween in the Flores era (since 2019).
• According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Dolphins are the first NFL team since 2017 (New Orleans and New England) to win seven straight games by at least seven points in the same season.
DEFENSE HOLDS SAINTS TO 3 POINTS AND 164 TOTAL YARDS
• The Dolphins limited New Orleans to just three points, the team’s fewest points allowed this season.
• It’s the third time this season Miami hasn’t allowed a touchdown, also doing so in wins vs. Houston and the N.Y. Giants.
• Miami recorded 8.0 sacks for 54 yards lost. It’s the ninth time in team history the Dolphins have recorded at least 8.0 sacks in a game and first time since Sept. 30, 2012 at Arizona.
o Full or partial sacks were recorded by seven different players: DE Emmanuel Ogbah (2.0), LB Jerome Baker
(1.5), CB Xavien Howard (1.0), Brandon Jones (1.0), DT Zach Sieler (1.0), DT Raekwon Davis (0.5), S Jevon
Holland (0.5) and DT Christian Wilkins (0.5).
The sack by Jones gives him five for the season. It’s the most by any NFL defensive back this year
and the most by a Dolphins defensive back since at least 1982.
2021 NFL SACK LEADERS (DEFENSIVE BACKS ONLY)
Rk Name Team Sacks
- Brandon Jones Mia. 5.0
- Landon Collins Was. 3.0
Harrison Smith Min. 3.0 - Several Players Tied 2.0
Ogbah recorded his 35th career sack today.
Baker recorded his 15th career sack today.
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
CAESARS SUPERDOME
DEC. 27, 2021 | 8:15 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
Howard’s sack was his first since 2017.
• The Dolphins did not allow the Saints to convert any of their 12 third-down attempts. It’s just the sixth time since 1991 the Dolphins have done that and first since Dec. 26, 2020 at Las Vegas.
o It was the first time in the Sean Payton era (since 2006) the Saints had not converted a third down in a game.
• The Dolphins allowed just 164 total yards today.
o It’s the fourth straight game Miami has allowed 250 total yards or less. The last time the team had such a streak was Oct. 18 – Nov. 11, 1990.
o It’s the 10th straight game Miami has allowed 400 total yards or less. The last time the team had such a streak was a 12-game streak from Dec. 22, 2013 to Nov. 13, 2014.
o It was the second-lowest total yardage output by the Saints since 2002.
• The Dolphins allowed just 81 passing yards today.
o It’s the fourth straight game the Dolphins have allowed under 200 passing yards, their longest such streak since Oct. 28 – Nov. 26, 2007.
o It’s the eighth straight game the Dolphins have allowed under 300 passing yards, their longest such streak since a 13-game streak from Sept. 24, 2017 to Dec. 17, 2017.
o It was the third-lowest passing yardage output by the Saints since Payton became head coach in 2006.
• The Saints were held to -2 yards in first quarter, the lowest first quarter output in the Payton era (since 2006) and the second-lowest output in any quarter since then.
• Miami totaled 14 quarterback hits today, tied for the most by any NFL team in a game this season (N.Y. Jets, 14 vs. Tennessee, Oct. 3, 2021).
WADDLE BREAKS DOLPHINS ROOKIE RECEIVING YARDS RECORD
• WR Jaylen Waddle led the Dolphins with 10 receptions for 92 yards (9.2 avg.) and one touchdown today.
• The 92 yards gives Waddle 941 for the season, breaking the Dolphins rookie record:
MOST RECEIVING YARDS BY A ROOKIE IN DOLPHINS HISTORY
Rk Name Year Rec. Yards TDs - Jaylen Waddle 2021 96 941 5
- Chris Chambers 2001 48 883 7
- Terry Kirby 1993 75 874 3
- Jack Clancy 1967 67 868 2
- Jarvis Landry 2014 84 758 5
• Waddle had 10+ receptions again tonight, the third time he’s done that this season. He’s the second rookie in NFL history to have three 10+ catch games, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (4).
o Waddle joins Jarvis Landry (8), Tony Nathan (5) and Brandon Marshall (4) as the only Dolphins with three or more 10+ reception games in their careers.
• According to ESPN, Waddle’s 10 receptions matches Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice in his 1985 rookie season for the most by an NFL rookie on Monday Night Football.
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
CAESARS SUPERDOME
DEC. 27, 2021 | 8:15 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
• Waddle’s 96 receptions are now second-most by a rookie in NFL history and just five shy of matching the NFL rookie record set by Arizona WR Anquan Boldin (101) in 2003:
MOST RECEPTIONS BY A ROOKIE IN NFL HISTORY
Rk Name Team Year Rec. Yards TDs
- Anquan Boldin Ari. 2003 101 1,377 8
- Jaylen Waddle Mia. 2021 96 941 5
- Michael Thomas NO 2016 92 1,137 9
- Odell Beckham Jr. NYG 2014 91 1,305 12
Eddie Royal Den. 2008 91 980 5
Saquon Barkley NYG 2018 91 721 4 - Terry Glenn NE 1996 90 1,132 6
- Justin Jefferson Min. 2020 88 1,400 7
Reggie Bush NO 2006 88 742 2 - Jarvis Landry Mia. 2014 84 758 5
NEEDHAM PICK – SIX GIVES MIAMI EARLY LEAD
• The Dolphins took an early 7-0 lead when CB Nik Needham intercepted New Orleans QB Ian Book and took it 28
yards for a touchdown with 10:25 left in the first quarter.
• It was the first pick-six of Needham’s career, his second interception of this season and sixth of his career.
• The pick-six marked the second time this year the Dolphins had a pick-six as LB Elandon Roberts had an 85-yard
interception return for a touchdown in Week 3 at Las Vegas.
• It was the third defensive touchdown of the season for Miami. In addition to the two interception returns, CB Xavien
Howard had a 49-yard fumble return for a touchdown on Nov. 11, 2021 vs. Baltimore.
• The last time the Dolphins had multiple interception returns for touchdowns in the same season was 2018 when S
Reshad Jones, LB Jerome Baker and S Minkah Fitzpatrick all had one.
INJURIES REPORTED IN THE PRESS BOX
MIAMI DOLPHINS
• WR Tommylee Lewis, second quarter – hip (questionable downgraded to out)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
• WR Tre’Quan Smith, third quarter – chest (questionable)
CAPTAINS
MIAMI DOLPHINS
• S Clayton Fejedelem, WR Mack Hollins and LB Elandon Roberts.
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
CAESARS SUPERDOME
DEC. 27, 2021 | 8:15 PM ET
POSTGAME NOTES
QUICK HITS
• There were 69,170 tickets distributed to today’s game.
• QB Tua Tagovailoa totaled 198 passing yards, giving him 4,153 for his career. It surpasses QB Chad Pennington (4,085) for 10th-most in team history.
• DT Christian Wilkins had a career-high eight tackles.
• LB Elandon Roberts eclipsed his career high in tackles and has 71 this season (37 solo).
• DT Zach Sieler topped his career high in tackles and has 51 this season (27 solo).
• RB Myles Gaskin brought his season rushing total to 590 yards, a new career high.
• TE Mike Gesicki totaled 22 receiving yards, giving him 707 on the season, a new career high.
• TE Durham Smythe had three receptions, giving him a career-high 29 for the season.
• S Brandon Jones recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter.
• P Michael Palardy pinned three punts inside the 20, including one inside the five. In his last seven games, he has 17 punts inside the 20, seven inside the 10 and three inside the 5.
-DOLPHINS-
