(Sportsbooks) - The
New Orleans Saints played a game in Louisiana for the first time since the state was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, when the team hosted former LSU head coach Nick Saban's
Miami Dolphins this past Sunday in Baton Rouge.
For all the Saints fans in attendance, it wasn't worth the wait.
In a performance symbolic of its mistake-ridden and lost season, New Orleans was manhandled on both sides of the ball as the Dolphins cruised to a 21-6 victory before a strong crowd of better than 61,000 at LSU's Tiger Stadium.
The offense was the main culprit in the Saints' fourth straight loss. New Orleans mustered just 203 total yards and failed to convert any of its 11 third-down chances for the game. Quarterback Aaron Brooks, under constant pressure from the Dolphin defense, was sacked six times and completed just 14- of-31 passes. His receivers didn't help him out much either, as Brooks' teammates dropped a number of his throws over the course of the day.
When Miami had the football, it pounded the New Orleans defense with the running game with great success. The Dolphins churned out 188 yards on the ground and held the ball over 36 minutes. Adding further insult was the effort of the beleaguered Ricky Williams, the one-time franchise player for the Saints. The former All-Pro back put up 82 yards on 17 carries, by far Williams' best of his three games since returning from a one-year retirement plus a NFL-mandated four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.
"We were awful, terrible and we didn't play well," said head coach Jim Haslett afterward. "We can't stop the run on defense. Offensively, you can't win in this league with six points. We were 0-for-11 on third down. We couldn't protect."
After playing reasonably well in their last two games - close losses to Atlanta and St. Louis in which questionable officiating calls late impacted the outcome in each - the Saints appeared to again take a step backward in what has been a horrific season thus far.
The people of Louisiana deserved better.
BENSON BLOWS UP
As if the Saints need any more distractions, owner Tom Benson made quite a scene when leaving Sunday's game, pushing away a television camera and then engaging in an argument with a fan. Benson, whose desire to move the team is no secret, has been under fire for reportedly discussing relocation plans with city officials in the Saints' temporary home base of San Antonio.
It appears, however, that Benson will encounter strong resistance from Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who reiterated the NFL's commitment to keeping the franchise in Louisiana prior to the contest.
"The Saints are Louisiana's team," said Tagliabue during a pregame press conference. "Our focus continues to be on having the Saints in Louisiana, and (Sunday's) game and hopefully the upcoming games at LSU will be part of that effort and that commitment."
HORN HEALTHY
The lone bright spot for the New Orleans offense on Sunday came from wide receiver Joe Horn, whose nagging hamstring injury kept him out of three of the club's previous four games and rendered him without a catch in the one that he did dress. Horn showed no ill effects against the Dolphins, as he hauled in seven receptions for 99 yards in the loss.
Veteran Az-Zahir Hakim, who had filled in ably for Horn the past few weeks, was held out of the Miami game because of a rib injury.
NEXT UP
The Saints will play their second of four home games in Baton Rouge this coming Sunday, when the surging Chicago Bears pay a visit to Tiger Stadium. Fueled by one of the league's top defenses, the Bears will enter the contest on a three-game win streak which has vaulted them to the top of the NFC North standings. New Orleans will attempt to iron out its recent offensive woes against a Chicago team that ranks second in the NFL in scoring defense and third in yards allowed.
The Saints have fared well against the Bears in recent years, however. New Orleans has won five of the last six meetings, including three in a row, between the teams, and Chicago hasn't beaten the Saints on the road since 1991.
