Dolphins-Saints Halftime Report

Breaking down the first half of the Miami Dolphins-New Orleans Saints Week 16 matchup at the Caesars Superdome, with an analysis of every offensive drive.

SAINTS WIN TOSS, DEFER

-- Tommylee Lewis returned the kickoff to the 21, a rare opportunity to take back a kickoff.

-- This drive, as we've often seen from the Dolphins, features short passing and Tua Tagovailoa converts the first third-down situation with a short pass to Jaylen Waddle after Waddle stayed in to block and then snuck out of the backfield.

-- The Dolphins got a freebie 15 yards when CB Marshon Lattimore decided to throw Waddle to the ground after he was way out of bounds.

-- The drive stalled after a third-and-6 incompletion when Tua was off target on a short crosser in the face of pressure, but at least the drive flipped the field position.

SAINTS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 17

-- Not surprising that the Saints would start with a running play, but they quickly turn to the pass, with short throws.

-- Andrew Van Ginkel makes yet another play, tipping Book's pass at the line of scrimmage to make it an easy pick-six for Nik Needham. AVG has been borderline spectacular since the start of the winning streak.

Dolphins 7, Saints 0

SAINTS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 25

-- The drive begins with tight end Nick Vannett dropping a short Book pass, the kind of mistake the Saints just can't make against the suffocating Dolphins defense.

-- Sure enough, the Dolphins tee off on third and Emmanuel Ogbah and Christian Wilkins combine to sack Book.

DOLPHINS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 31

-- This is a productive drive, highlighted by an obvious DPI on Chauncey Gardner-Johnson against Waddle and an 18-yard strike from Tua to Waddle on third-and-7 after Tua slid up in the pocket.

-- Phillip Lindsay converts a third-and-1 with a 2-yard gain out of the Wildcat and the officials quickly reverse a fumble rule that obviously wasn't a fumble.

-- Tua gets sacked on third down and fumbles, but Austin Jackson ends up recovering to preserve the field goal opportunity and Jason Sanders comes through from 48 yards out.

Dolphins 10, Saints 0

SAINTS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 25

-- The Saints try a more conservative approach this time, but two runs by Alvin Kamara gain only 4 yards. And with a rookie at QB, the Saints can't afford to not get any help from their running game.

-- The evidence comes on third down when this time it's linebacker Jerome Baker who sacks Book.

DOLPHINS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 26

-- This is a pretty nondescript, though it produces a first down on a shovel pass from Tua to return specialist Tommylee Lewis, who makes another surprise appearance on offense — perhaps because he's facing his former team.

-- The drive ends when Jacoby Brissett stumbles while scrambling after a third-and-1 play fake, which certainly brings reason to question why the Dolphins didn't just have him run a QB sneak.

-- The decision to punt on fourth-and-less than a yard from near midfield makes sense, though, given that the Saints offense doesn't have a first down to this point.

SAINTS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 17

-- Book completes a 17-yard to Marquez Callaway on first down for the Saints' first first down of the game. The play comes against Xavien Howard, who then gets lucky not to get flagged for roughness after he throws Callaway to the ground out of bounds.

-- On the ensuing third down, the Dolphins rush only three, Book can't find anybody open and then just runs out of bounds 3 yards short of the first down.

DOLPHINS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 28

-- This drive ends up as a three-and-out, but that was only because of a really dubious holding penalty on Liam Eichenberg that nullified a third-down conversion on a pass from Tua to Waddle.

SAINTS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 25

-- The running game produces runs of 7, 7, 4 and 4 yards, paving the way for a field goal.

-- Safety Brandon Jones gave the Saints a free 15 yards when he put his arms up on a blitz and made contact with Book's facemask after a screen pass to Kamara.

-- Props to Raekwon Davis and Elandon Roberts for stuffing Kamara for no gain on third-and-2 from the 15 to force the Saints to settle for a field goal.

Dolphins 10, Saints 3

DOLPHINS DRIVE, START AT THEIR OWN 25

-- Three consecutive completions to Jaylen Waddle got the New Orleans territory, and that was followed by a 13-yard completion from Tua to Durham Smythe off a great effort by the quarterback on a play that was upheld after review.

-- A third-down sack pushed the Dolphins to the 41, pushing Jason Sanders' field goal attempt to 59 yards and he pushed it wide right. Jesse Davis was beat so easily by Cameron Jordan on the sack that Tua had no chance on that play.

END OF HALF

DOLPHINS 10, SAINTS 3